Disclaimer: I regret to inform you that I do not have legal possession of the Teen Titans.

The dark figure stood perched above the city, studying the quiet streets, from its rest high into the night. The shadow had a purpose, a will, and a reason for being here. Behind the cloak, beneath the armor, and within eyes of ice, a mind was methodically calculating this very city's destruction. The city, in inhabitants, and especially its guardians would soon crumble under the dark tide of the greatest power in the universe. Everything the shadow had ever known, believed in, dreamt of, and hated had all led to this time. It stood, outlined against the full moon, drawn to its full height, darkness against light. With a graceful flourish, the shadow removed its hood, and stared defiantly out into the night as a thread of lighting speared the sky. Thunder cracked as rain began to fall around the shadow as it stared defiantly into the gray void, cold, pupil-less, sky blue eyes regarding its new domain. For soon, this entire world would know that the darkness had arisen from extinction: the sith had come to earth, and all would tremble before the shadow's might.

Raven awoke as she always did, at the first gray light of dawn. For some reason, she hadn't slept well, plagued by confusing dreams of… of what, she couldn't remember, but it didn't matter. There had been quite a storm last night; that much she did recall. That was odd, considering that a clear night had been predicted. But weathermen were often wrong, and besides, she liked storms. Yawning, she made her bed and changed from her p.j.s into a fresh leotard and cloak, washed her face, and proceeded down the hall and into the kitchen. Raven put on a kettle of sweet smelling tea, walked to the adjourning living room where she could watch the sunrise, and picked up her latest novel. Her eyes had barely scanned two lines before she remembered. It was only bits and pieces, shards, but it was enough. A shadow, night, darkness, and evil. Something was wrong, something bad had happened last night, something had come to this city. She felt it in the air, a cold chill, a sick fear. It was dark, darker than her. A concerned voice interrupted her visions.

"Raven, are you okay? Is something wrong?" The voice was soothing. She looked up, realized she was shaking. A familiar masked figure stood before her. She smiled, relieved now that he was here.

"No I'm okay, just a little cold in here." What a lame reply, she thought.

"Are you sure? You look pale, well, paler than usual. If you want to talk about it-" she cut him off.

"It's okay Robin, thanks though. Just had a bad dream, that's all."

"Well, if you say so… Here this should help." Before she could stop him, he had draped a nearby blanket over her shivering form. "Feel better?"

What a gentleman, she thought, If only some other guys around this place were like him. "Uh, yeah, I do, thanks."

"No problem, Rae. Hey are you going to come with us to the convention today? With Starfire on vacation at Tamaran I need somebody sensible to help keep an eye on-" Robin was once again cut off, but this time by a new voice from the kitchen doorway.

"Don't you even think about putting mine or Cyborg's name at the end of that sentence, dude!" The green-skinned, pointy-eared team jokester stumbled into the room, eyes still glazed with a few hours sleep.

"You guys will never appreciate us like we deserve it!"

A smile flitted across Robin's face. "Good morning to you too, B.B. I see you remembered we had something important to do today. I'm so proud of you!" BeastBoy was about to fling back a reply when a much taller from bounded into the room. The Titan's man of half steel waltzed in, all smiles.

"Goooooooood morning ya'll! What's for breakfast! I am famished after that awesome party last night! Man, that was fun!"

BeastBoy looked on with a mask of sheer disbelief on his face. "Life just isn't fair! He was up later than I was! I wish I could just recharge my batteries whenever I-" The conversation dissolved into a heated debate between Cyborg and BeasBboy concerning fairness, sleeping habits, breakfast, and 'yo momma' jokes. Raven and Robin looked on, Robin in amusement, and Raven in disgust. Finally she looked over at Robin imploringly.

"No offense, Robin, but I think I need to stay here and meditate today. Try and make sure they don't manage to completely ruin our reputation. I'm going to escape before I die from overexposure of immaturity. Good luck!"

Robin shook his head laughingly. "Alright, Rae, whatever you feel like doing. We'll be back this afternoon, so call us if you need anything." In a lower voice, so as not to be overheard by the two background contenders still locked in verbal combat; he added, "I hope you feel better!"

She smiled; he was really a sweet guy. "Thanks Robin, I'll try…" She opened a shimmering black portal in the ceiling, turned, and ascended upward through it. She alighted on the Tower rooftop, her favorite place in the city to meditate. And, boy did she need to now. She couldn't make sense of the disturbing new sensation she felt. Hopefully, this would help. She floated upward, crossed her legs, closed her eyes, and let the peaceful stillness of her mind take her away, as she chanted… "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"

A few miles away, in the seedy, crime-ridden underbelly of the city, the shadow had begun its task. The bar was dim, smoky, and essentially rotting. Somewhere a decade old jukebox was cranking out some ancient tune from its long abused speakers. Roughly twenty depressed alcoholic middle-aged men where busy eating a greasy breakfast before trudging off to their monotonous professions. When the shadow entered, no one noticed or really cared about the cloaked, hooded figure. They had had stranger people come in here before. But, this one was different. Instead of scurrying off to a discreet, unnoticed corner like everybody else and ordering up some slop for the morning meal, this one strode right up to the nearest table, which coincidently housed the largest and meanest looking of the bar's inhabitants, and directly spoke to him. In a calm but assertive and dark tone the hooded figure made its voice clearly heard.

"Where are the Teen Titans?" it simplistically asked. Now, the man it spoke to was also different. The man was Earl, and Earl was tough. He was a working-class bully, and nobody bothered him when he was eating. So he decided to school this weird stranger on Earl's etiquette.

"What kind of a stupid question is that coming from a loser like you? Why don't you go call and ask them yourself? Now get out of my face before I beat yours in!" There were a few nervous chuckles as Earl turned back to his sandwich. The stranger was not visibly affected by the big man's words and in the same tones as before, asked again.

"I asked you where they are, and I advise you to answer me." It spoke again. That was it, Earl was thus far having a bad day, and pulverizing this weirdo would only make him feel better, so he sprang up, knocking his chair over, and roared at the black clad morsel in front of him.

"I'm gonna crush you like a soda can, you little freak!" Earl swung his huge fist like a club, but the figure moved out of its path with unnatural speed and stretched forth its own hand from within the cloak. With a flick of the wrist, it sent Earl flying up and over the table, like an invisible train had smashed into him full force. Earl was hurled all the way across the bar and into the opposing wall where he pinned by unseen hands. Everyone froze. The only sound was that of the jukebox, still playing a long outdated song. The stranger strode across the room with the same calm air as before, hand still outstretched. It looked upwards at Earl so he could see its eyes. Earl was petrified as he peered down into those twin pools of glaring blue ice within the darkness of the hood. The figure spoke, once again, this time with finality.

"I will not ask you again, you are wasting my time. Now, where are the-" At this point Earl interrupted in a desperate pleading tone.

"They live in the bay, on an island, in- in a tower, I swear that's all-" He managed to blubber before the figure withdrew its hand, lowered its gaze, and proceeded to the exit. Earl dropped like a stone and slammed into the bar room floor.

"Thank you for your cooperation." Was the last the figure said before it swiftly strode out the exit, glanced upwards, crouched down, and leapt up into the sky, leaving the bar's inhabitants, especially Earl, shocked, visibly shaken and in need of therapy.

Raven was still meditating on the roof as her three male teammates flew off into the city aboard the levitating T-car to attend the superhero fan convention. She didn't even notice their departure, so deep was she in thought. She hadn't located the source of her troubling premonitions, but she was definitely feeling much better. She always found comfort here, alone in thought, tasting the breeze, feeling the sun, and hearing the gentle lap of the waves below her, at peace with herself and her surroundings. So deep was she within herself, she didn't notice the darkness gathering beyond the city, on the horizon. She didn't notice the shadow that fell across the city. And she didn't notice the storm clouds approach until she felt the sunlight leaving her skin, replaced by a bitter chill. Her eyes snapped open as she realized she was eclipsed in a shadow; the sun was gone, replaced by dark turbulent looking clouds. What is going on! She thought. There's no way the weather can change that quickly, there's got to be something wrong! The wind began to blow, as she stood up, her cloak and hair rippling in the gusts. And then she felt it, the same sick fear and cold that she had encountered earlier. But this time it was worse. She began shivering, had to sit down again. Raven peered off across the bay; saw through misted eyes, a speck getting bigger, closer. And then she knew where these sensations where coming from. Whatever it was, the small dot took the shape of a man, clad in black, with a tiny fluttering cloak behind him. She couldn't move, sat petrified, as the figure got nearer, and nearer, until with a flourish, landed on the rooftop with a graceful descent among folds of night colored cloth, and stood before her. She couldn't speak, couldn't move, her eyes wide with fear as he, for it had removed the hood, and glared down upon her through glowing blue-tinted, ice colored eyes, and she saw he was a man, as he stepped forward and spoke.

"Long have I awaited this moment, Raven. Yes, I know you, I know everything about you, your secrets, your desires, your fears, I know them all as well as I know my own." His voice became distant, and her world began to spin. "And you know me. Yes. Search your mind's deepest and darkest corners, there you will find my purpose, and me and when you do, you will know why I have spared you. Tell your comrades of my arrival" She no longer saw, her eyes strained open but she saw nothing. She was slipping. Somewhere she thought she heard thunder, felt rain, but it was dull, muted, for she was numb. "Tell them that I have come, tell them the dark tide has come, tell them," he said, his voice a distant, diminishing roar. "Tell them that the Sith have come to Earth, AND ALL WILL BE LOST!" She was falling, fading into the endless night. There was a bright flash, a clash of thunder, and all was still.