The Red Titan

Chapter 5 Switch

Here to do the disclaimer we have Arde and Raven!

Well go on guys...disclaim!

Arde:What?

Raven: Disclaim what?

That I don't own the Teen Titans..

Raven: Damn right you don't own me

Just do it!

Raven&Arde: Fine...starcarved in no way owns the Teen Titans

Was that so hard?

Raven: Excrutiatingly so.

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(1 Hour Before The Events of Last Chapter)

Arde was confused. He was no longer in his mind, his inner home. He was surrounded by darkness. It seemed as if he was floating. 'Did Raven do it?' he asked himself. He knew the answer was no he wasn't in the tower and he wasn't in his mind. Looking around he saw what he knew he'd find, more darkness. Arde groaned in disbelief, 'My life has really been going nowhere lately.' he thought to himself. Suddenly there was a bright light. It was warm yet eerily suspicious. The empath made his way towards it cautiously he couldn't think of anything to be afraid of, it just seemed like caution would be neccesary. He headed into the white light until it's brightness caused him to close his eyes. The blinding light eventually faded and he reopened them. "What?  I'm just back here" he thought aloud as he took in the sight of the rocky black ground and flaming trees. Flaming trees. Arde flung his head back to the forest behind him. The trees were burning. The trees didn't burn on his side. He ran for the barrier with his heart pounding in his chest. The magic that split the two halves of his mind blocked out any form of spell or incantation used on it. He had trapped himself on his side. The barrier was in sight and he could almost the other side. There were no blazing plants and the ground was not scorched. "How did I..." he muttered out loud with fear visible in his eyes. He was staring straight into the eyes of a very familiar face. It was his own but the expression this one bore was much much darker. Nefas smiled at his counterpart. "Aren't you foolish." he stated poking the red barrier tenderly. "How...?" Arde mumbled still visibly shaken. Nefas' grin widened at these words. "Not important." he sing-songed. "What do you mean 'not important'?", "I mean you have bigger things to worry about." "What." the look of fear in Arde's eyes deepened into one of utter terror. "When I possess your soul, I'll say things. Even use you as my personal play thing." the evil jinn sang in anticipation. Arde was frozen in shock. He thought he had finally put this behind him, now he realized there was nowhere to hide. This thing would always be fighting for control. This time it looked like it had won. Arde gritted his teeth angrily as his legs gave out on him. He was on his knees seperated from the one being he hated by the wall he made. 'This was meant for him not me.' the teen thought slamming his fist into the mass of energy. "Oh now thats not gonna work. This wall of yours couldn't be destroyed by even me!" Nefas laughed, Arde continued yelling and trying to break the barrier until a flash of light was seen. It was a beam coming straight from the sky and into the ground. "Ah well, it looks like I'll be going now." he smiled throwing his cloak to the ground and heading for the beam. Arde wanted to do something, anything, to keep him from escaping. But all he could do was stand and watch as his inner villain escaped into the real world. 

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(Present Time)

Nefas was glad to be free, his surrogate body was stronger than he had remembered. He could feel the cool air on his skin as he stood. It felt nice to be able to move, being trapped in a small space for so long had drove him close to insanity. He sighed and let his legs fall over the side of the tower. The Teen Titans were the least of his worries, they had barely laid a hand on him a few minutes ago. Nefas rose, 'Still it would not be very smart to stay here any longer.' the jinn thought to himself. 'Havoc..what an odd word.' he laughed as once again faded into the ground. Earth was a place new to him he had never been there before after all. He picked his targets carefully, a park, a busy intersection, a mall. All of them mysteriously engulfed in flames. Nefas had arrived on the site of his newest target, a school, when he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Arde! Stop right there! What're you doing!?" the Boy Wonder yelled to him. "Knock knock." he uttered tapping his knuckles onto his own head before fading into the ground. "Shit. Keep an eye out guys." the masked boy mumbled as the five teens spread out. BeastBoy shifted into a bloodhound and put his nose to the ground. "Arde. Silly name don't you agree?", the Titans turned to find the source of the question. Nefas was leaning against a nearby building staring intently at his hands. Robin reached for his belt grabbing a multitude of birdarangs before replying. "Silly, maybe but what's sillier is why you're doing this. What is wrong with you Arde." he answered. The jinn snapped his head up at his opponent before raising his faintly glowing hand. "Ignus Spiritus." he uttered in a deadly tone. Robin's cape burst with fire, "I do not like being referred to by that name." said the jinn. Robin let a grunt escape his lips before he cut his cape loose with the tip of his birdarang. Nefas allowed his smile to return to his face before turning back towards the school. "Ignus Spiritus." he uttered the familiar words as the closest part of the building burst to life with flames. Screams could be heard as the children tried to escape. "Raven! BeastBoy! Go help them, make sure everyone gets out safely!" Robin ordered his companions as he grabbed his collapsable staff and charged his adversary. The jinn looked back over his shoulder and sighed as he saw the Boy Wonder. "Incredibly dull you are." he raised his pale hand and sent a blast of red energy stragiht at the teen. Robin lowered himself in time to dodge it and brought his staff up to attack. He brought it down onto the gray villain only for it to be caught by another red construct. With a flick of his wrist the teen had been sent flying across the street. "Boring." he added as a starbolt came towards him at astonishing speed. Swiftly, Nefas blocked the green ball of energy with another of his barriers. Starfire glared angrily as she watched her once friend deflect her attack. She unleashed another onslaught of starbolts hoping to hit her mark. A cloud of smoke was soon around the jinn obstructing him from view. The remaining titans looked on as the it cleared. He was still there. Still standing unharmed.