The pink robed Raven and I walked.

 Well, I walked. Raven appeared to prefer to skip down the long winding path in silence for what seemed like ages. I wanted to ask her why she wanted me to follow her, why she was wearing pink robes, and why did she think it was a good idea to trap a villain inside her own head, but I was still trying to get used to having the use of my own voice again. Every time I spoke, it felt like someone else was talking through me.

"Not much longer now!" Pink Raven called cheerily, ceasing her humming of some song and pointing towards an ominous looking circle of stone that hung over and around the pathway. "We just need to go through there!"

"Why..." I spoke, trying to form a question, but as soon as I did I felt my throat close up on me. 

Pink Raven stopped and turned to face me, forcing me to stop as well. "Go on," she insisted, hands at her hips and a big smile on her face. "I know you want to say more than just 'why'."

I gave her a cross look before concentrating on trying to speak. With a deep breath, I managed to get out: "Why...are you...pink...?" 

It wasn't the first question on my list of priorities, but it was all I could manage to get out before being forced back into silence. Raven's amused smile grew impossibly bigger.

"I'm pink because it's my favorite color!" Pink Raven declared before spinning around and proceeding to prance towards the gateway. I gave her back the meanest of glares before letting out a sigh. Though, when the actual sound came out,  a chill running down my spine.

I could tell this wasn't going to get any easier.

"If you don't hurry, you'll be stuck in this part of Raven's brain. I promise it gets more fun than this!" Pink Raven called, still prancing towards the gateway.

I forced myself onwards despite a growing sense of fear for the gaping gateway. I gripped my cloak as I walked. It wasn't the first time I had thought to use the cape to escape, but I had never used its powers inside another dimension before. I wasn't sure if it would actually work or if I would just turn up somewhere inside out, and I wasn't too keen on finding out.

"Come on, slow poke!" Pink Raven pressed, suddenly appearing from behind me, walking as if she had always been there. She then began to push my back, forcing me to walk faster. "You want to get out of here, don't you?"

"How do I...even know...you're not...taking me to a...trap?" I got out as Pink Raven shoved. 

The Titan giggled. "I think you've got me confused with Intelligence or Rage. I'm Raven's happiness, I only want to see others happy and I know it would make you happy if you got out of here!"

"You're an...emotion?" I hesitantly asked, growing more confused by the second. In response, Pink Raven ruffled my hood, leaving it slightly askew.

"Duh! Why else do you think I hang around..."

However, Pink Raven trailed off and, before I could ask her why, I felt the soft, gentle touch of fingers as they trailed over one of my ears. With a yelp of surprise, I lept away from her, swiftly adjusting the hood so it covered my ear again.

"Your ear. It's big and pointy," Pink Raven announced with wide eyes trained on me and her hand still outstretched.

"Yeah, I know," I replied, keeping my eyes focused on the stone pathway now.

"Are you a...demon?"

"I...don't know?"

"Are you an elf then?"

I shot Pink Raven an annoyed look. She looked back at me with a smile.

"I'm just kidding of course! Look, if you don't want to talk about it you don't have to, but we need to hurry and get through the gate!"

"Will it take me home?" I asked, looking backwards towards it.

"No. But it will take you one step closer."

I wanted to sigh, but I was afraid that I would actually hear the sound again so instead I merely stepped to the side. "Lead on then."

"Great!" Pink Raven exclaimed, running up to me. "Now come on! Run a bit, no more of that brooding walking!"

"I don't really--" I began, but was cut off when Pink Raven gripped my wrist and proceeded to run, forcing me to keep pace with her.

"I wasn't asking, Kyd Wykkyd," she informed me as we ran, looking back at me with another smile. 

Staring into her face, so full of pleasure and joy, I had to fight the sudden urge to smile as well.

...

"Are we there yet?"

"I swear to god, Red-X, I will turn this ship around if you don't stop asking me that!"

"...No you won't"

"I do not mean to interrupt," Fixit's stoic voice cut through on their shared intercoms, "but why have you not spoken to us on where your prison is, exactly? If you can at least inform me I will be able to prepare properly."

"Trust me, even if I told you all where I am being held, it would not help any. It's better for everyone to just see for themselves. And, Fixit, I'd keep your priorities on keeping that Titan asleep."

"It is under control," the mechanic returned. See-More looked across the ship to see Fixit sitting rather uncomfortably with Raven in his lap, his hands on her head and red eyes constantly glowing.

"Now, now, don't have too much fun in there, tin man," Red-X taunted, looking rather comfortable in his seat with his legs outstretched and hands behind his head.

"I am going silent until we reach our destination," Blackfire informed. See-More switched his gaze to the robot orb that sat in the center seat; multiple wires were protruding from it, connecting directly with the ship. "It is taking more power to run this ship than I had anticipated."

"Oh, don't tell me that we're going to have to do without your ego and sarcastic wit. I don't know how I'll do without!" Red-X called dramatically. They sat there in silence for a minute or two before Red-X sat up in his seat and looked over to the quiet robot. "Huh, guess she really has gone silent."

"Do ya'll think we'll be able to find where she put Kyd Wykkyd?" See-More asked, his one eye glancing towards the sleeping Titan in Fixit's lap.

"I cannot say for sure," Fixit admitted, his glowing eyes staring off into space. "I am unable to read  her mind in this state."

"If you ask me, that kid can take care of himself," Red-X said. "For all we know, he doesn't even need our help."

"For all we know, he does!" See-More countered. "Fixit, didn't Blackfire put that collar thing around his neck? Is it like a tracker or something?"

"That  is one of its functions, yes."

"Then why doesn't she use it?"

"Shortly after we took off, Blackfire informed me that the collar did not respond to her, as if it simply vanished from existence."

"And she was just going to inform the rest of her merry crew whenever the need struck?"

"She felt it unnecessary, Red-X. Just as I feel it is unnecessary to continue this conversation any further."

"Whatever. You're boring to talk to anyways."

"Do you think the tracker could pick up Kyd Wykkyd if he was in another dimension?" See-More spoke up again after several minutes. 

Fixit's red eyes flashed across the ship in his direction. "I highly doubt it. Do you believe he is in another dimension?" 

"Can any of these Titan's even do something like that?" Red-X asked, looking over at Raven.

"I was captured by one of their Honorary Titans who could do something like that," See-More said. "If he could, I don't see why more of them couldn't."

"Well, that's reassuring..."

"Fixit, is there any possible way you can find out if she sent Kyd Wykkyd to another dimension or something?" See-More pressed.

"There are risks, but I could try to delve deeper into the Titan's mind."

"Should we even bother?" Red-X suggested, but quickly continued when he caught See-More's angry glare from across the ship. "I mean, I'm broken up and everything that he's gone, but is he worth that Titan waking up and sending the rest of us into whatever twisted prison she sent Wykkyd to?"

"Kyd Wykkyd is Blackfire's sole hope to escape. We could do everything in our power to assist her, but in the end she needs him. No Kyd Wykkyd means no escape, no freedom of the rest of the villains, and no Zinothium," Fixit said in his dead tone, his glowing eyes switching from See-More to Red-X.

"Well, when you put it that way."

"I will delve deeper," Fixit announced with a simple nod before closing his eyes.

The two teenaged thieves sat in silence for what seemed like hours. Time ticked away in that deep, black space, each second potentially spelling out their end. Just when they believed that Fixit had fallen asleep or something worse, the mechanic's eyes suddenly flew open and before either thief could speak the stoic android let out a very loud, very mechanical laugh.

The second it escaped, it was silenced, but the noise had still done its damage. The three villains sat in silence for a moment or two more before Red-X let out a chuckle.

"Don't," Fixit warned.

"Did you just--"

"Do not speak," the mechanic hissed, his eyes glowering at the masked thief. Red-X tried in vain to silence his laughter in response.

"Fixit..." See-More spoke up, watching as Fixit closed his eyes, a strange look of frustration on his face. "Why did you just...laugh?"

"Yes, do tell!" Red-X insisted between his own muffled chuckles.

"I was compelled to," Fixit answered. His eyes drifted down to the Titan in his lap, brow furrowed in concentration. "When I entered deeper into her mind, there was this overwhelming feeling..."

"What kind of feeling?" See-More asked in a hush, confused and intrigued at how low and worried Fixit's voice sounded. Even Red-X had fallen silent.

"Joy."

...

"Is everything alright, Kyd Wykkyd? You seem a bit uncomfortable."

"I just wouldn't have thought Raven would be so into flowers," I admitted as Pink Raven and I traversed through the field of bright and colorful roses. The intensity of it all was enough to make me squint.

"Well I love flowers! I also love bunnies, and ponies, and trees, and paintings, and poetry, and kitties, and writing in my diary--"

"But what about that long endless path we were just walking down a few minutes ago?" I cut in before she got too carried away; throwing a thumb towards the gate we both entered and exited from just a short while ago. 

Pink Raven gave me another amused smile in response. "It's really quite simple! You see, I'm only half-demon and the other half is human, so, in turn, the things that make me happy are split as well. On one side, I enjoy the sweet and beautiful things of the human world while, on the other side, the part of me that's a demon still enjoys the simple and clean darkness and the security and comfort of only one sure path-- the path that leads to death, blood, and utter chaos!"

"Well that's, ah, really creepy."

"I know! Isn't it great?!" Pink Raven exclaimed before proceeding down the path of flowers. "I've been getting pretty good at keeping the demon part of me in check these past few years. I almost don't feel the blood-lust in battles anymore!"

I, finding no other real option, continued to follow the growing concern that was Pink Raven, though I kept my cloak close at hand. I would rather take my chances with teleportation then have to deal with Raven's emotions in any sort of conflict.

"So, where are we going to next?" I asked when I began to see another gateway looming over the horizon.

"We have to go through my Sadness next. It should be fun!"

"Any of this 'fun' that I should be warned about first?"

"Oh no no no! The only thing there is a maze and my Sadness will be able to take you through it no problem!"

"And why a maze, if I might ask?"

"Well, I always get depressed and mope when I get confused or feel lost. Sticking me in a maze would be like my worst nightmare!"

We continued walking on in silence after that, but I soon caught myself glaring at Pink Raven's back. She had stopped skipping awhile ago. I felt my fingers brush against my cloak as I sucked in a short breath.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to give out all of this personal information about yourself to me, a villain?"

Pink Raven did not reply right away. A first. I felt my hand close around the hem of my cape. 

Suddenly, the Titan let out a chuckle which surprised me enough to lose my grip.

"Oh, you don't seem like such a bad person to me," Pink Raven said without slowing down or turning to face me. "You're not as scary as you look. Hey, you know, you've gotten a lot better at speaking,  Kyd Wykkyd."

That's when I heard it. When she spoke my name, the cheery voice all but died away, replaced by something much colder and much more stoic. I tried to back away, but as soon as I took one step, Pink Raven was standing right in front of me. 

Only she was no longer pink, but a bright shade of yellow. I looked directly into purple eyes that were now enlarged due to a pair of glasses.

"It's time to go, Kyd Wykkyd," Yellow Raven said. 

And then the gate that was still miles away was now directly behind me. I tried to escape. I reached for my cloak and went to pull it over, but Yellow Raven's hands were already on my chest and, before I knew it, I was being shoved through the portal and pulled once again into the blackest of darkness.

...

"See-More, Red-X, it is time to wake up," Fixit's voice called over the intercom. 

Slowly, See-More's single eye blinked open before looking around to see his fellow passengers. Red-X was still stretching after recently waking up himself while Fixit appeared to not have moved an inch since they had first taken off, the dozing Titan still situated in his lap.

"Jeez, how long have we been in this tin can?" Red-X questioned, doing his best to get the cricks out of his neck.

"Two days, twelve hours, and forty-three minutes," Fixit answered immediately.

"Well, thanks for not relaying the seconds this time, tin-man," Red-X muttered while rubbing his forehead. "Why'd you wake us anyways?"

"Because we are here."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because there is a planet taking up the majority of what we can see out our windows."

That was when See-More and Red-X looked directly in front of the ship for the first time since waking up. Sure enough, there was a large planet making up what had just been empty space for days. The planet was mostly white with strange red lines and dots swirling on it making it resemble, to See-More at least, some kind of monster jaw-breaker.

"So, now what? We just land on this unknown planet and just hope we'll run into a prison that just so happens to be holding our beloved Blackfire?" Red-X asked, his surprise quickly fading away into frustration.

"I...apologize...for the long...journey..." Blackfire's voice suddenly answered through the intercom, though it was strangely muffled and riddled with static.

"Blackfire? Is that you? Mind explaining to us how-?"

"Save your breath," Fixit cut in, his glowing eyes now focused on the black android that was situated in the center of the ship. "This is a prerecorded message. Her robot is close to losing power."

"But, uh, isn't it controlling this ship?" See-More asked, suddenly looking very worried. Fixit only nodded solemnly in response.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Red-X muttered.

"And I...also apologize...if your landing...isn't as smooth...as planned...But you are here...and the plan will...continue..."

The ship started to shake just as several of the flashing monitors began to fade away from view.

"We are entering the planet's orbit and we are also beginning to lose all power," Fixit informed the two thieves, his eyes now focused towards the planet they were now rapidly approaching.

"Let me be...the first to welcome you..."

"We're not just losing power! This heap of metal is exploding on us!" Red-X declared as the panels around him began to static and burst violently.

"...to my home planet..."

See-More's panicked eye looked up at the glass that kept him between deep space and the ship. His heartbeat pounded away at his chest as he watched the deep cracks start to appear.

"...my prison..."

The ship glowed a bright red as the group of villain's plummeted ever closer towards the planet. Red-X gripped the sides of his seat for dear life, doing his best to protect his mask from the panels as they continued to explode. Fixit sat as still as the grave, still having not moved since they first took off, though slowly his arms began to wrap protectively around the young Titan in his lap. See-More could only watch with a mixture of wonder and horror as the very ground of the planet appeared through the clouds to meet them. 

He knew deep inside there was no use fighting it. They would either all die a horrible death...or not.

"...Welcome...my dear villains...to Tamaran."

The message cut out the exact moment the ship hit the planet. And, for an instant, all that could be heard or seen were explosions of fire and the twisting of metal. 

And, after that, nothing but endless, silent, darkness.