Gone to the Place of Foggy Dreams

Ghost Mission

"RAVEN!"

Robin bolted upright in his bed, soaked in sweat and panting heavily. He yanked the sheets off his bed in a fury and dashed down the halls towards Raven's room, yearning for some comfort and help after his horrible nightmare.

When he got to the entrance of her room, he pounded on the door, but no answer was heard. He tried to yank the door open, but as always, it was locked tight. Robin growled in frustration and nearly ripped the metal covering off the keypad next to the door, pounding in the key code and making the door finally slide open.

Greeting him inside the shadowy room was a group of four astonished men in dark-red robes, one of them wearing a painted skull on his face. The men were carrying a long bundle in their arms covered in a black cloth with blood-red runes etched all over it. Next to them was a swirling red portal, and it was evident that they were in the process of going through it to whatever lay on the other side.

The man with the painted skull spat "Arella!" at the sight of Robin in the doorway, and the Titan's confusion turned to anger when he realized that the bundle in their arms had to be none other than Raven herself. Robin snarled at the intruders and slammed his fist on the alarm button hidden in the doorway, causing the warning system to blare into life throughout the Tower.

He dashed madly towards the men, who quickly moved towards the portal, taking Raven in their arms. Their leader sneered and waved his hand at Robin in a dismissive fashion, sending a violet wave of energy crashing into the boy, and hurtling him backwards into his comrades, who had just arrived in time to see what was happening. The other Titans were still in their pajamas, woefully unprepared for the incursion happening in their home.

"Stop, intruder!" Starfire yelled as she sent blasts of green energy hurtling towards the men. Her blasts were easily deflected by the man with the painted skull, who cackled as he and his fellows successfully fled through the red portal. Just as the last of the intruders disappeared, the portal fizzled away.

The four Teen Titans looked at the spot where the portal had been, a myriad of emotions raging through them all as they gasped for air. Robin tried to stand, and fell back to the ground with a grunt, alarming his friends.

"What the hell did they do to you, man?!" Beast Boy shouted as he and Cyborg helped Robin stand up, carefully wrapping his arms around their shoulders and doing their best to stop him from stumbling again. Starfire bit her lip worriedly and followed them as they walked to the living room.

Robin groaned as they laid him down on the couch and lifted off his nightshirt. The spot where the man's blast had struck him was marked by a hideous black and purple bruise that elicited yelps of pain when his teammates tried to touch it.

He grimaced and told them about his nightmare, and what he had seen when he had tried to find Raven for guidance.

"When I got to her room, I found her wrapped up in that weird cloth, and for some reason, she wasn't doing anything to resist. I don't know if they drugged her, knocked her out, or bound her someway else, but they managed to subdue her. And I don't know how the hell we're supposed to find her now. Heck, I don't even know how they managed to creep up on her, even if she was asleep. This is all happening way to fast, and that damned nightmare is still haunting me too."

Cyborg shrugged his shoulders helplessly and told him, "Look man, don't blame yourself too much here, none of us had a clue that this would be happening. Right now, we need to treat this bruise or whatever it is you've got, and we need to start looking for clues on Raven's whereabouts."

"I will go and find the first-aid kit!" Starfire said, zooming down the hall while the three boys remained collapsed in dejection.

Starfire returned a moment later, carrying their large box of medicine and bandages, yanking out a cream for burns. When she tried to apply it to Robin's wound, he shrieked in pain and arched his back, frightening his friends.