The Hybrid

The Real Deal

The purple-haired teen's amethyst eyes stared at the spotted hyena. "How?"

"When I returned to the capital, Kwaad seemed a bit surprised that I was alive, but when I told him about my village being destroyed by 'lions' he seemed to think I didn't know any better. He briefed me on an item his soldiers found. A small green rock or shard."

"Beast Boy's amulet," Raven realized, "That's what brought me here. How many pieces are there?"

"I don't know. But this one shoots out a fire at his command. I think there are more scattered across all of Africa. Probably the whole world," Verloor suggested. Raven grimaced.

"Great," Raven muttered. "How am I supposed to get them?"

"With training," Said a familiar voice. A small mandrill clambered down Verloor's back. "It's good to see you, Hybrid."

"How long have you been on his back?" Ada asked Uchawi.

"That's beside the point. You seem to be working well with Ada on your physical training. Now, we must start your power training," Uchawi answered, hobbling into the lioness's house. "You must first learn Verloor's Cackle before you move on." The hyena nodded, stepping up to Raven. But the teen stepped back. "She will not be able to receive the power if she still fears."

"Then I'll train her the way you trained me," Verloor stated emotionlessly. Uchawi nodded, grabbing some unknown substances from the backpack she carried. She spread a blue powder around Raven and told her to sit on the ground. "Now, this will overwhelm you at first. It's okay to be afraid. But you must face your fears before you can get the power that invokes fear." Raven nodded as she sat down, crossing her bare legs and holding her hands out as if she were meditating.

She felt Verloor's paw on her head, and he muttered some chant. Suddenly, a fiery hot feeling spread over her. She opened her eyes and saw fire all around her, burning humans alive. In the billowing sky of smoke hovered a red-cloaked version of herself with four red eyes. The red version cackled as she zapped people down with purple lightning. Raven panted hard, not being able to move. "Raven," She heard Verloor calling, "Remember, face your fear."

She realized what she was seeing. Her worst fear was losing control of her powers and hurting her friends. In her vision, she stood up, glaring at the demonic Raven as it came towards her. It stood right in front of her with a haughty smile. "You think you can face me?" It bellowed in a deep voice.

"I know I can," Raven determinedly said. "I'm tired of being afraid." The demonic Raven growled in frustration and lifted her hand to smack Raven, but it was surprised when she caught it with one hand. "I am in control," She grunted to her demonic side, squeezing her hand tight with surprising strength.

"GAH!" Cried demonic Raven. Raven crushed the demon's hand harder, making it kneel before her.

"And if I lose control, I control whether I regain it," Raven stated with a great level of authority. "Now get behind me." She released Demonic Raven's hand and the demon simply snarled in defeat as it left her presence.

Suddenly, Raven's eyes opened up as she saw Ada, Uchawi, and Verloor standing over her body. She slowly got up, being helped by Verloor. Raven looked Verloor in the eyes, unconsciously standing up a bit straighter and her other hand clenched in a fist. "Thank you," She softly said.

"OHHH! I'm so glad you passed the test!" Ada cried out as she nearly tackled Raven to the ground in a hug. Raven giggled a bit, allowing herself to smile.

"Do you know how to use the power?" Uchawi asked. Raven... slowly nodded. She stepped outside, inhaled, and emitted a very hyena-like cackle. Visibly yellow soundwaves bounced around from her mouth. She finally closed her mouth and turned back to Verloor, Ada, and Uchawi. "Now, your journey begins."

"How many animalists are there?"

"Many around the world, but I don't think you'll need to go to all of them," Verloor replied to Raven, "When Lief returns, you'll learn his power. But she's going to need a few more to face against Kwaad."

"You'll need to learn Earthquake Punch from the elephants," Uchawi added. Suddenly, they felt the earth starting to shake. Uchawi's old eyes peered to the savannah and saw a billowing dust cloud starting to grow bigger and closer. The mandrill smiled. "Lief's here with Groot."

"Groot?" Raven asked as Ada took Verloor's son into the house. Soon the lion came in view, but a large 10 foot tall colorfully decorated with strings, sashes, and beads of all color elephant came alongside him.

"Raven, meet Groot, Animalist of the Earthquake Punch," Uchawi introduced. The elephant smiled widely as he bowed.

"It's an honor to meet you, Hybrid," Groot bellowed.

"It's... just Raven," The purple haired teen replied, bowing as well. "So... you're going to teach me your power?"

"Yes, in combination with Lief's but there is a problem. Word through the Savannah is that there are more glowing artifacts that are much like the one that Kwaad now posses," Groot answered.

"All the more exciting," Raven grumbled.

"But we'll need to teach you in the ways of animals for your powers to be more natural and honed," Lief explained, "Which means-"

"More training with me!" Ada excitedly bounced up and down, finally hugging a worrisome Raven. Lief and Groot laughed while Verloor watched on in silence. As the night finally came, the hyena stood out in the cool air outside the chattering house. He sadly peered up at the stars, wondering something.

"Are you thinking about her, your wife?" Raven asked, walking up to the slightly taller hyena. Compared to other hyenas, Verloor was quite tall for his species.

"Yes," Verloor shut his eyes, feeling the stinging blow in his chest again. "I am."

"If I might ask," Raven started after a long pause, "What was your wife talking about your belonging?" Verloor sighed greatly as he stared at the ground.

"I started the war because I was sick and tired of being alone with a small group of people who weren't like me. Yes, I bonded with them, but I wanted to feel like I... belonged in my own species. Not to be called 'Lioness' or 'Lion Enunch'. I wanted to belong among my own people, but... my own people rejected me." Verloor looked into the lit house, hearing laughing and the loud happy cry of his son. "I guess it was for the best. My son would have grown up in the same hostile environment."

"So it was never your ambition that drove you, but your sense of belonging?" Raven asked to clarify. Verloor nodded. "I'm... sorry that you were an outcast." Verloor gave a small somber smile.

"Isn't that what makes us unique?" He said, raising his paw to get a fist-bump. "Being the creepy outcast." Raven's eyes widened a bit from that word. Though sad, Verloor's smile reminded her of Robin. But that word, 'Creepy'. It brought back memories, but it also brought back a promise.

You think you're alone but you're not.

Now more than ever she realized the meaning of those words. So the world considered her creepy and they were right. Raven raised her own hand and fist-bumped Verloor's. If the world thought her creepy, so be it. It just meant they were stuck in their little fantasy world of normalcy and she was the real deal.

Continued...