Current Events > Teen Titans CYOA: Romance Resurrected

(+) Yeah! (+)

A

I was hoping Mad Mod would show up. He's entertaining
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A.

scubasteve42 posted...

I was hoping Mad Mod would show up. He's entertaining

Malcolm McDowell is always awesome.
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A.

If the takedown is fast, we got ourselves an interesting power shift.
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A
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DrizztLink posted...

Malcolm McDowell is always awesome.

totally forgot that's who voiced him

A

"I'm after the codger and the magical remote," you say as you turn Shadowfax around.

"Just you try it, yah pest!" Mad Mod says as you drive towards the building he stands upon.

You press a button and pop a wheelie. The tires become enchanted with Gravity Magic and you ride right up the wall.

"Oi what?!" Mad Mod blurts. "Ahh sod off with your cruddy magic rubbish!"

Mad Mod presses a new button on Control Freak's remote but you're already on the roof. Robin and Raven join you, meaning Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy are busy handling Pingu, Oakie Doke and whatever army of small animals Oakie is commanding.

"Give up the remote, ya gaffer," you say with a hand stretched out.

What takes your hand is a soft felt mitten-like hand.

"Tinkie Winkie!"

"Dipsy!"

"Lala!"

"Po!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" you shout. "Die! Die you soulless abominations!!"

You throw bolts of magical energy at the purple, green, yellow and red creatures! They stagger back but soldier forward like zombies! It makes sense with these horrible monstrosities!

You send out a magical charge and then make another hand sign.

"Kaze!!"

The charge explodes with wind magic, and the sharp gusts cut the Teletubbies up like those potatoes from lunch. The pieces of the foul beasts flop to the ground, the television screens in their guts breaking on the concrete roof.

"Uh oh..." the four of them say with their dying breaths.

"Kasai!!" you shout with another hand sign.

Another charge explodes with fire! The pieces of the Teletubbies are set ablaze, and burn away into ash!

"Gawd Blimey, lad!" Mad Mod laughs loudly. "I didn't know what was gonna happen with that last button, to tell you the truth, but that bloody hilarious! What in the blue hell brought that on?"

"I hated these wretched things as a child," you say with ragged breath, "but my sisters loved them! My parents said it was two to one to I had no choice but to sit and watch... it was like torture every day at 2!"

A hand rests on your shoulder, you look over and see it's Raven.

"It's alright," she says. "I never liked these things, either."

You two watch the ashes blow away in the breeze. Robin then smacks the remote out of Mad Mod's hand and it goes sliding to the far side of the roof. You snap out of your Teletubbie trauma and help give chase.

"Oi, ya blue eyed pest!" Mad Mod says to you. "You look oddly familiar. What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't introduce myself, actually," you correct. "But I am Rorek the Seventh--"

"Rorek? So I was right to think of that old git. More than 50 years later and across the pond, yet he still finds a way to nark me off!"

"Yes, he's told me many stories of your crimes both with and against fashion," you say.

"Then let me get payback on him through you!" he shouts as he pulls out a cane.

A) Fight with hand to hand
B) Use magic
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B, magic. Wrap him up, remind him who you're related to.
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A) Fight with hand to hand

I don't think we need magic to beat Mod
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A
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A

"Shadowfax, stand," you tell your motorcycle.

The kickstand is deployed and you walk forward to face Mad Mod. He swings on you right away, you lean and dodge the cane while giving Mad Mod a jab to his cheek. Mad Mod staggers and turns around.

"Alright, I'll give ya that one," he says.

Mad Mod uses his cane like a rapier and thrusts it at you. You evade and deflect but you're surprised that even at this younger age, Mad Mod can move like this.

"I'll give ya this, yer faster than yer granddad," he says.

"Well he was slowed from the war," you say. "Being part of the Greatest Generation takes its toll."

"Yeah yeah, I heard all that prattle from him," Mad Mod says. "I don't need the bloody sequel!"

You dodge another thrust of the cane to then flip Mad Mod on his arse with a move you learned from your judo sensei.

"Ow ow ow!" Mad Mod says as he tends to his bruised backside. "Oi, no fair! The Marquess of Queensberry rules!"

"Those were never established," you say. "Plus, you're using a weapon, that violates the rules to begin with!"

Mad Mod thrusts from the ground, you lean to the side and grab the cane with your hand, only for an electric shock to zap you!

"Ah!" you blurt out.

"Well you did say there were no rules!" Mad Mod grinds.

Mad Mod thrusts, now you have another reason to dodge. You drop down low and sweep the legs. Mad Mod falls hard on his back, you kick the cane away. Mad Mod keeps fighting, grabbing your leg and pulling it out from under you. You fall on your face, but quickly get up to kick Mad Mod in the chin. Mod's dazed, you pounce and get his arms behind him.

"Oi, you got cuffs or something?" you ask Robin.

Robin tosses you a pair and you clamp them on Mod's wrists.

"Time to do some porridge, huh?" you say. "Hopefully we can convince someone you should be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure this time!"

"Hah! Did that twice already," he grins as you drag him to his feet. "Why d'you think I came to toy with these Yanks?"

Police arrive again, and you see that Pingu and Oakie Doke have been deactivated. You and the Titans regroup to hand Mad Mod over to the police. You give one officer a card for your friends in Scotland Yard.

"What're we supposed to do with this giant penguin?" one of the officers asks.

"Uhuh," Beast Boy shrugs.

"Hold on, there should be a button for this," Robin says as he looks at the remote controller.

Robin presses a button, and the limp Pingu, Oakie Doke and wrecked Brum disappear with television static. Mad Mod is put in the police car and it drives away while you and the Titans return to Titan's Tower.

"You sure live busy lives," you say to them as you park in the garage.

"Sure do," Beast Boy says.

You all return to ops, and the lights turn on.

"What a great view of the sunset," you say.

"Since it's getting dark," Robin says, "we have spare rooms available, if you want."

"Really?" you say. "That's rather generous of you."

"Well with how you've helped us out today, we might as well give you a place to stay for a night, or however long."

"Then I shall take you all up on this," you say.

You quickly return downstairs to get your things off of Shadowfax's "saddle bags", then regroup with everyone on the top floor. You follow them around the hallways.

"This is Robin's room," Beast Boy says about an off-white room that resembles one part stately manor and one part dojo.
---

"This is Starfire's room," he says about the pinkish-purple room with a round bed, fluffy blanket and a rather large silkworm napping in the middle of it.

"Is that normally there?" you ask about it.

"Yes, this is Silkie!" Starfire introduces. "He was one of hundreds in an army of super silkworms that were forced to become moths, to serve the supervillain known as Killer Moth. But Beast Boy liberated him from the horde, and now he is our pet!"

She holds him out in front of your face.

"Say hello, Silkie!"

Silkie gurgles and squeals as he smiles open-mouthed at you.

"Hello, Silkie," you say as you pat him on the head. Starfire carries Silkie much like your mother carries Lyric, her Pomeranian, and the tour continues.

"This is Cy's room," says about a blue room with a large computer and generator.

"This one's my room," Beast Boy says about the green room with a bunk bed draped with laundry.

"This is Raven's room," he says about the closed door. "She doesn't let anyone look in there, so don't feel bad."

"Everyone is entitled to their privacy," you say. "What's this other closed bedroom?"

"That's... another long story," he says.

For once since you've met him, Beast Boy looks sad.

"Anyway," Beast Boy says, snapping back to his usual good mood, "this room down here is vacant, so it can be yours!"

You enter the room, which is painted similarly to the hallway. A simple bed, simple walls and simple furniture.

"This'll do quite nicely," you say with a smile as you set your things down by the bed.

"That's good to hear," Robin says. "Unless another emergency comes up, you're free to rest or whatever. There's no real set dinner time, but chances are we'll be getting something in a little bit so we'll let you know."

"Sounds good to me," you say. "Oh, before everyone goes, I'd like to ask..."

A) Where is the bathroom?
B) Where is the laundry room?
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B) Where is the laundry room?
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A. Think you should freshen up a little after all that.
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A
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A

"Where is the bathroom? Not for 'that', mind you, but I was hoping to shower."

"Oh yeah there's one down here at the end of the hall," Cyborg says. "There's another on the other side, just in case this one is busy."

"What if both are busy?"

"Then you'll have to hurry down to the full gym on the fourth floor," Cyborg says.

"I'll work to plan accordingly," you say as you dig out a towel from your knapsack. "With that, I'll see everyone at dinner?"

"See you then," Robin says as he and the Titans take their leave.

You get your towel, soap and shampoo and head to the end of the hall. You enter the bathroom and see the black-and-white checkered floor with a combination bathtub and shower. You set your towel on the rack and your soap and shampoo on the little shelf attached to the tub.

You get undressed, and check the scar on your right shoulder. Still pretty obvious. The dark magic in that dagger continues to linger.

"Damn Isabel," you say under your breath as you get into the tub.

You start up the shower, get it just right and clean up. The pressure is actually quite nice, you don't get this in the average motel or hotel on the road. That aside, you get through it all, including shampooing the front and back of your long thick hair. You turn the shower off and wrap yourself in your towel before stepping out. You use levitation magic to make your discarded clothes float behind you and--

"Crap," you say.

You forgot to bring new clothes in with you!

You nervously peek your head out into the hallway. The coast is clear right now, so with floating clothes following behind, you hurry across the hall to your room. Wait, how do you open these sliding doors?! Even though you literally saw Beast Boy open four doors on the tour you didn't pay attention to what button does it!

"Ummm..."

While hunched over to look at the keypad for the door, you turn your head to look over and see Raven standing there!

"Uhhh..." you say.

You suddenly stand up straight and clear your throat.

"I'm incredibly sorry for this awkward encounter," you say, trying not to die from embarrassment. "But I couldn't get into the room..."

"It's... the big button on the bottom," she says, her eyes darting everywhere but in your direction.

"Thank you," you say as you press it quickly.

The door slides open, you get inside, and then press the same button on the inside pad to close it.

You sigh and slump on the bed. If you'd just remembered to prepare spare clothes, you would've avoided this. You just dry off head to toe and get dressed. There's a soft knock at the door as you bring out your brush and Heat Magi-Drive hair dryer.

You walk over, open the door and see that it's Raven again.

"Oh," you say. "Hello."

"H-Hey," she says, eyes still unable to stay focused on you.

"Please tell me I didn't drop something on the way over," you say. "My levitation leash trick sometimes fails--"

"No don't worry, I didn't see anything of yours in the hallway. I mean, I didn't see your clothes. Because you weren't wearing--"

Raven stops herself, her cheeks starting to burn red. A spark of dark energy runs up around her and makes contact with your hair and in an instant, *FOOF* your hair stands on end. Raven is wide-eyed and jaw-dropped as you look up at your own bangs.

"So this must be what one of those mishaps during your body swap was like," you say.

Raven is too embarrassed to say anything as you calm your hair down.
---

"So if there wasn't any dirty laundry in the hallway, why the knock on my door?" you ask.

"Well, I was in the hall because I heard the shower stop," Raven says, "and I just wanted to use the bathroom for myself. But then I noticed that scar on your shoulder and couldn't help but be curious..."

"About how I got it, of course," you say.

"Yeah," she nods.

A) Tell her that long story
B) Tell her that long story, if she'll tell you her long story
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B. Only fair.
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B
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B
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B.
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B

"Then, I'll tell you my long story, if you tell me your long story."

Raven seems a bit surprised, and bashful, but she doesn't speak right away.

"Fine," she says. "But you tell me your story first."

"Alright," you say. "Please, come in."

You move aside, she walks in, you close the door, and the two of you sit on the side of the bed.

"Now, I mentioned that 'long story' involving Ukraine," you say. "The scar is actually part of that story."

"Oh..."

"There were the first three times in Ukraine and Central Europe that I failed to go any further, those were just complications, miscalculations and being unprepared. The fourth time I felt exceptionally confident. I made good time returning to Ukraine, with help from those I had met and made friends with the other three times. But things got complicated once I reached the city of Zhytomyr, West of Kiev.

"I arrived smoothly enough in the early morning, and was set to continue straight through until I spotted a young woman being harassed along the sidewalk. What's with the smirk?"

"Oh, sorry," Raven says. "Well, first, I like your pronunciation. 'Hair-ressed'. Also, you seem to like saving damsels in distress."

"That pattern is clearly coincidental," you say. "I would've helped even if it was a fellow gentleman being bothered by such thugs."

"If you say so," she says, sitting up straight.

"As I was saying," you say, "I interrupted the squabble on behalf of the young woman, one Isabel Fortun. She thanked me for getting the men to leave her be, and upon learning I was headed to Kiev, volunteered to be a bit of a tour guide.

"We rode along European Route 40 together, admired the wonderful countryside, and eventually reached Kiev close to nightfall. We found a place to stay and reserved separate rooms, then had a nice dinner in the inn's accompanying restaurant. We talked a bit, sharing stories about ourselves much like we all were earlier. Of course, I didn't have the Morocco story to tell, so I told her stories of home."

"Remind me to ask you about some of those a little later," Raven smirks.

"Gladly," you say. "So, I told her stories, and she told me stories. It wasn't until later that I realized most of those stories were just that: stories. She lied about most things to make her seem sympathetic and affable. And I fell for it."

"Because she was pretty," Raven smirks again.

"How did you know that?"

"Just a hunch, which you confirmed."

"So, after dinner and retiring to our rooms, I heard her shout and then knock furniture over. I burst into the room to find that there were intruders. I fought them and exposed them to be the thugs from Zhytomir. Now, I was confused as to why they'd go through all the trouble of following her for all those kilometers, until I noticed some of the things Isabel had among her possessions. It was clear she stole them, and the men wanted the items back, but at the time, I wasn't going to let them harm her just to get them back.

"After I was victorious, I negotiated terms of returning the items. The men were satisfied but Isabel was adamant about keeping one in particular. It was a dark tome by the name of the Magdalene Grimoire."

Raven gasps.

"You got to see the Magdalene Grimoire?!" she says, getting mere inches from your face; she quickly becomes self-aware again and sits back.
---

"Yes, actually," you say. "I myself was surprised to find it there, and demanded to know the who, how and why. Last I'd heard it was with the Burgess family of England. Turns out, the brutish men were hired by the Burgess family to retrieve the book from the thief, Isabel Fortun. But that wasn't even the worst of it, mind you, that secret came next. While I argued with Isabel as to why she would want such a book, she pulled a dagger out of her belongings and swung at the lot of us."

"Whoa."

"That's what I thought," you say. "She then enchanted the dagger with toxic magic, revealing herself to be an aspiring dark witch. She also used a bit of invigoration magic to make herself faster and stronger than normal, so I was honestly shocked when her dagger broke my barrier to stab me in the shoulder."

"That was some strong magic to leave a scar like that," Raven says as she looks at your shoulder.

"Yes, between blood loss, the toxin and my overexertion of mana, I was far too weak to try and stop her escape. In fact, I needed help even feeding myself for the next couple of days. I was so furious with Isabel for having fooled me, I was torn on whether to hunt her down or give up and go home again. But clearly, I chose the third option of moving on and doing my best to forget her. Not that I've been able to, thanks to the very scar she gave me."

You sigh and rub the scar out of a new habit you've picked up since getting it. The soreness would bother you, so you'd try to massage it away, and now you just do it when you aren't doing much of anything.

"I guess it's my turn," she says.

"Oh, yes, go ahead," you nod.

"Well, I've already told you about how I ended up owning your ancestor's book that he sealed Malchior in," she says. "And so one day, when I didn't have much else to read, I decided to take a look at that one. And as I also already told you, the book was basically his journal. I learned about the little town of Null, his early life and how he grew up, and sadly how his village was destroyed by a band of barbarians."

"Yes, a tragic start to his eventual legacy," you note.

"I end up rather enthralled with everything in the book," she continues. "I blaze through all the chapters: from him learning magic from Belial, father of Merlin, to him conquering his own thirst for vengeance when he finds the leader of the barbarians as an old, battle-worn duke."

"Yes, such wonderful bedtime stories from my own childhood," you nod. "How uniquely nostalgic that someone else knows of those stories."

"And so, I finally get to the story of his battle with Malchior," she says, "but at this time, we were getting busy with villains again, so I kept having to stop and restart the epic finale of the battle. I eventually got so frustrated that I went straight to my room and locked the door, refusing to come back out, which in turn provoked Beast Boy into calling me 'creepy'. Obviously that hurt my feelings, but I didn't know how to tell any of the others that. I just didn't want to be seen as creepy, just for liking books and magic and all that. So, when a real voice came from the book, I was stunned, but then kinda intrigued.

"He introduced himself as Malchior, but Malchior the Wizard of Null. Obviously you know that's not true, but I didn't. It seems that while Malchior couldn't change what happened, where it happened and when it happened, he could change who did it. He made himself into the hero that your ancestor was, and he made Rorek into the dragon. So, he basically was like Isabel, he lied to make himself look better, and I fell for it.
---

"I wanted to get to know him, to learn from him and become a better user of magic. But because of his ulterior motive, he taught me strong dark magics. And I still fell for it when he spinned it around, using my own words. 'Just because it is dark doesn't mean it is bad.' So obviously I fell deeper into his trap, and after giving him a humanoid body made of paper, I then used a spell to break the curse that sealed him in the book. That's the exact moment I found out he was not your ancestor but the dragon. My friends battled the dragon until I came to my senses, and then used the very same curse that sealed him away the first time to put him back in the book."

"Impressive," you say. "But then, why be so reluctant to share the story?"

She gives you a sternly disappointed look.

"What?" you say.

"It's... It's because I didn't just admire your ancestor, who Malchior imitated," she says with a blushing huffy pout. "I... I fell for him. Like. R-Ro... Romantically..."

"Oh... Oh...! I'm sorry for not realizing!"

"It's fine," she says with a slightly saddened smile. "But, it is partly why I was so... tense when we met this morning."

You look at Raven as she smooths some hair behind her ear. Even as she looks down at herself you can see a mix of sadness, relief and joy. She is still hurt by the lies Malchior told her, but relieved and happy to have gotten this feeling off her chest.

There's a new, bolder knock at the door.

"Yo, Rorek!" Beast Boy says. "Do you know where Raven is?"

"Uh... No, I don't," you fib.

"Well, dinner's ready," he says. "Pizza! Anyway, if you're hungry, head back to ops!"

"Will do!" you say.

Beast Boy leaves, you and Raven chuckle a little, then

A) Go eat dinner
B) Stay in a little longer
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B
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B, of course.
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B

"So that dastardly dragon seduced an unassuming maiden by stealing the identity of my legendary ancestor," you say as you recline back and rest on your hands. "His evil knows no bounds, I swear."

"Well, it probably only worked because of how charming Rorek the First was," she says.

You look over at her, hair tucked behind ear, lips curled into a soft smile and eyes once again a mix of sadness and fondness. Clearly her feelings for who she at least thought was Rorek the First were strong, like those of a first real love. For perhaps the fourth time in your life, you're jealous of one of the previous Roreks.

A moment of silence passes before you clear your throat.

"So," you say, "you wanted to know stories of my family?"

"Yes, that's right," Raven says. "I'll let you decide where to start."

"Well then, I suppose starting at the beginning is apropos," you say. "As the seventh Rorek, I was lectured and educated on my predecessors, so I know them well. You already attested to knowing much about Rorek the First from what you read of his journal, the book in which Malchior was sealed. I'll fill in the rest, which came after that moment.

"Rorek of Null was already becoming very famous among the British Isles before conquering the maleficent Malchior, so when word spread he had captured the foul beast, he also became known as Sealer of the Dread Dragon. What now, with that smirk of yours?"

"Oh, sorry," she laughs softly. "Just, the term 'foul beast'. That was in the book at the moment Rorek the First was caught by Malchior's tail. Hearing you say it, it's just how I imagined him saying it."

"Yes, well, my grandmother has told me many times that if I were to compare my voice to the other six at my age, we'd all sound the same. Now, as I was saying, Rorek of Null, Sealer of the Dread Dragon, grew in fame even as far as to continental Europe, namely the Scandinavian lands. You see, Rorek was soon contacted by a distant relative of his from Scandinavia, in either Norway or Sweden, which revealed a part of his own heritage to himself. Of course, by now, the family tree barely has any Scandinavian left in it, but Rorek made sure to honor it as part of his legacy.

"Rorek of Null did many more great deeds, such as aiding in the training of Merlin, who as you know, was son of Belial, the great wizard who instructed Rorek in his magic lessons. Rorek returned the favor by helping Merlin, and after settling down and having a family, Rorek entrusted the care of his grandson to Merlin.

"The reason for it was that Rorek the First was gravely ill and could not protect the family much longer. He died mere weeks before the birth of his grandson, who bore such a striking resemblance to Rorek of Null, Merlin and Rorek's son, Raynor, could not help but name him Rorek the Second. Merlin, whether for better or worse, went so far as to argue that it was reincarnation; that Rorek the First's death being so close to Rorek the Second's birth had to be a sign."

"But obviously it's genetics," Raven says.

"Yes we know that now, but it kind of ruins the mystique of the Rorek lineage," you chuckle. "Either way, Rorek the Second therefore followed in the positive footsteps of his grandfather, learning magic from a legendary wizard and using it to vanquish evil. He was even given the very book Rorek sealed Malchior in, which led to many a humorous anecdote about the once Dread Dragon back-sassing and all around mocking his new master. As Rorek the Second grew older, Merlin also became mentor to a certain other legend in one King Arthur."

"Seriously?" Raven says, smiling excitedly. "Your other ancestor was alive to see King Arthur?"
---

"Yes," you say. "The three became quite the trio. Arthur the great warrior king, Merlin the wizard and mentor, and then Rorek the Second, trying to outshine both Arthur and his namesake simultaneously, was a Paladin."

Raven seems positively giddy.

"Is there a favorite story of yours?" she asks. "A particular adventure the three had?"

A) Holy Grail, obviously
B) The Battle of Badon
C) The Battle of Camlann
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C.
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A
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bump
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C, I guess.

I'm pretty rusty on my Arthur, so I have no idea what I just voted for.
---

C

"The Battle of Camlann," you say.

"Really?" she asks. "But Arthur died in that one."

"True, but it was a truly incredible because of the epic final battle between Arthur and Mordred. Arthur trusted Mordred to watch over Camelot while the king chased Lancelot to France for charming Guinevere away from him. However, Mordred took the throne for his own, forcing Guinevere to marry him now. Arthur returned to find this new betrayal and ordered Mordred to abdicate. When Mordred did not, they fought the Battle of Camlann itself, and Arthur kills the selfish Mordred but is severly wounded himself. That's when the story gets fuzzy: Arthur goes to Avalon and either dies or is kept spiritually alive as he awaits reincarnation."

"So...?" Raven asks expectantly.

"So...?" you repeat, a bit befuddled.

"What's the truth?" she elaborates. "Your ancestor was there, did he write down the truth?"

"Oh, I wouldn't want to spoil the mystique," you say. "Ruins the fun when you learn about the truths behind the legends."

"Just tell me," Raven says.

"If you insist," you say. "Sadly, King Arthur did not survive the wounds he suffered at the hands of Mordred. However, he was told to at least keep that secret to himself, in order to allow the reincarnation story to survive through the later generations."

"That makes sense, actually," Raven says. "They didn't want the hope to die out."

"Exactly," you say.

"Okay, so what was life after Arthur like for Rorek the Second?"

"He settled down with Morgan le Fay's sister, Mazoe. She was a bit overshadowed by Morgan le Fay, of course, but Rorek the Second could relate as he often felt overshadowed by the legacy of Rorek the First. But she admired him for being Rorek the Second, not grandson of Rorek the First, so she helped him accept himself."

"That's really sweet," she says.

"Now, the reincarnation within the Family of Null continued because of the timing between Rorek the Second and Rorek the Third," you continue. "Rorek the Second and Mazoe had a daughter, Britta, and a son, Ragan. Ragan lived a peaceful life with Rorek the Second before marrying and having his own son. However, Rorek the Second died tragically in a landslide as he protected the village they lived in."

"Whoa..."

"A month later, Ragan's wife gave birth to the first child, who was a boy that sharply resembled Rorek the Second, just as Rorek the Second resembled Rorek the First. Again, while it was genetics, this timing seemed too coincidental, so the boy was named Rorek the Third as they believed him to literally be the third incarnation of Rorek of Null.

"Rorek the Third learned magic from his father and those friends within the Druid clan Merlin founded as well as the relatives in the House of la Fey, but things were becoming rather peaceful in the known world. Rorek the Third decided he would explore the world and learn all he could. Rorek the Third is perhaps the reason for my own wanderlust, as my mother has many stories of my exploring the woods by our home.
---

"Rorek the Third was first of the Family of Null to venture farther than Germany on the continental mainland. But instead of taking a route through Ukraine and Russia, Rorek the Third found his way through Italy and the Mediterranean. He would then pass through Turkey and the Middle East to reach China from the West, where--upon collapsing from starvation in a thriving village that would one day be Urumqi--he met a lovely young woman named Li Li, which he affectionately referred to as 'Lily'. Li Li took him in and nursed him back to health, and after getting through the language barrier, fell in love over how interesting the other was to them."

Another knock at the door.

"Hey," Beast Boy says. "Have you seen Raven? I knocked on her door and got no response, which is normal and all but then I tried annoying her and got no response which is actually not normal, and so I went all bloodhound and sniffed a trail down the hallway to here so..."

Raven sighs.

"I'm here, Beast Boy," she says.

"See I told you!" Beast Boy says to someone else.

"Wait, who else is out there with you?"

"Uh..." Beast Boy says.

"Nobody..." Cyborg says, trying to sound like Beast Boy.

Raven sighs again.

A) Go join the others for dinner now
B) Finish up the story of Rorek the Third first
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B
---

B. Kinda rude to leave a lady hangin' like that.
---

A. Leave 'em wanting more.
---

B

"Give us a few more minutes," you say. "We'll be right there."

"Few more minutes?" Cyborg repeats.

"For what...?" Beast Boy says slyly.

"Just stories," you say. "Keep your minds out of the gutters."

"Stories?" the two of them say.

"Can we hear them?" Beast Boy asks.

"Well I don't see why not," you say.

You go to the door and open it, and let the two join you in the room. You sit back down as they sit on the floor, not unlike children at storytime.

"I was telling Raven about Rorek the Third and his expedition into China," you say. "He collapsed from hunger but was saved by a lovely young woman named Li Li, which he would refer to as 'Lily.' Now, Li Li and Rorek the Third fell in love with how the other represented something new, unfamiliar and exciting.

"However, while they were passionately intimate, that was all it was for Rorek the Third. He didn't share Li Li's feelings that were much deeper than attraction. She fell in love with him, and wouldn't let him go. But when her father, who was a high priest of the Shaolin temple, heard of their relationship when Li Li was meant to marry the son of a feudal lord, he was enraged."

"Whoa...!" Beast Boy says. "Drama~...!"

"Yes, in the form of Li Li's father, the monks of the temple, and the soldiers under the feudal lord's comman, all running Rorek the Third out of town. From there, Rorek the Third made the long journey East to the coast of China, took a boat from Shanghai across the sea and to Japan, only to repeat much of the same mistakes. He collapsed from hunger, was rescued by a beautiful young woman named Sakura and charmed her into a physical relationship, only to anger her father, a high priest in a Temple of the Snake, and be run off by the priest, the monks, and an army of poisonous snake familiars."

"Sounds like Rorek the Third was a bit of a player," Beast Boy smirks.

"But you were telling us about two birds with one stone while you visited Asia," Cyborg says. "Reconnecting East and West and what not. Did you mean that you charmed some young girls?"

"Well, I..." you say, feeling a suspicious glance from Raven. "No, that's not the two birds one stone. A less scandalous part of Rorek the Third's story is that he in fact did learn various Eastern magics and philosophies, which he would bring back with him to the West. I did the same on that front, learning the Eastern elemental arts in Japan while learning the wonders of Qigong and chi energies in China, not to mention the various martial arts found in Asia."

"But you still managed to charm some ladies, right?" Beast Boy grins slyly.

You feel Raven's glance becoming more suspicious.

"*Ahem*" you clear your throat. "Rorek the Third managed to head back home by going straight through China but avoiding Li Li's hometown of Urumqi. He did learn his lesson from the two flings he had in Asia, and settled down with just one woman: Grayce Melliar, the first witch to realize witches could fly brooms."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Cyborg says. "How, how do witches do that?"

"One part attunement for levitation magic, one part specially enchanted broom," you say. "Like other great discoveries in history, much of it came from a simple accident. And thus, Rorek the Third was able to live peacefully at home with his internationally famous wife, growing the fame and fortune of the Family of Null. Now, let's eat."

Beast Boy and Cyborg lead the way down the hall towards Ops.

"So... did you charm anyone while in China and Japan?" Raven asks.
---

"*Ahem*" you clear your throat again. "Well... While I'll admit to many of the young priestesses, maid servants and general female members of the public were attractive, I kept my 'charm' to myself as I was more focused on learning, training, and reestablishing long standing bonds between my family and the temples of China and Japan that somehow withstood my ancestor being a right twit."

You four return to Ops, where Robin and Starfire already sit with several large pizzas set out on the dining table.

"There you are," Robin says. "Where'd you find Raven?"

"With Rorek," Beast Boy says with another sly smile. "They were sharing stories."

"Oh, how delightful," Starfire beams. "Perhaps we could have more stories with dinner."

"No, Star, I was being metaphorical," Beast Boy says.

"But the reality is as you said," you say. "We really were just sharing stories. I finished regaling Raven and then Beast Boy and Cyborg with the tales of the first three Roreks."

"Oh, even more delightful," Starfire says.

Beast Boy and Cyborg sit alongside Starfire, you let Raven sit in first before taking your seat at the end of the booth bench.

"Yes, to summarize," you say, "Rorek the Second battled alongside Merlin and King Arthur while Rorek the Third helped connect Western and Eastern magical cultures while getting into romantic trouble.

"Keep going, tell us about the other three," Cyborg says as everyone grabs a slice of pepperoni pizza.

"Yeah," Raven says. "Er, if you want."

"Well I don't see why not," you say. "Let's see... Well, it was a couple of generations or so between Rorek the Third and Rorek the Fourth, and in that time, the Null Family became tantamount to celebrities in that age, both to the magical and non-magical worlds."

"Y'mean like, muggles?" Beast Boy says.

"Yes, if you wish to use that term," you say. "The family still can't explain how J.K. Rowling learned that word."

"Wait that's real?!" Beast Boy blurts.

"No, don't be silly," you laugh. "We prefer 'normies'. Less offensive sounding. As I was saying, it was yet another peaceful era, as far as the British Isles were concerned, so he didn't have much strife. Rorek the Fourth actually comes off as the most lackluster of the Roreks."

"Well, surely he did something noteworthy," Starfire says.

"Other than marrying the three-times Great Granddaughter of Merlin and truly bringing the Druid line of magic into the family..." you say as you think. "I suppose his founding of a trade company was big. Not that the company got very big in his lifetime, but without it, the family wouldn't have had the company as it stands today."

"Wow the company is still around?" Robin asks.

"Yes, but it isn't exactly Forbes top 100," you say. "Other than who he married and the company he founded, the only other thing Rorek the Fourth ever really did that I thought was interesting was..."

A) Own race horces
B) Paint and sculpt
C) Sing
---

A.
---

B) Paint and sculpt

As a fan of art I'm supporting option B
---

B.
---

B

"Paint and sculpt."

"He was an artist?" Raven says. "Why didn't that make him a more remarkable Rorek?"

"Well he never sold all that many of his works," you say. "He did very well at capturing the essence of Rorek the First's might battle with Malchior, but he mostly just redrew the ink drawing of it from Rorek's book, the one Raven once owned. His sculpting the busts of the previous Roreks were spot on, but because the Roreks all looked the same, people thought he was just being vain."

"Busts," Beast Boy snickers.

"Could you please grow up?" Raven scowls at him.

"The works of Rorek the Fourth of course pass through the family as heirlooms," you continue, "and I myself learned how to sketch, paint, and sculpt with various mediums."

"Sweet! Doodle us!" Beast Boy says.

"I learned multiple mediums, not genre," you say. "I have yet to properly master human portraits. I never get the eyes right. Or hands for that matter. But I am exceptional at drawing everything else. Do you have paper lying around?"

"Here you go," Robin says as he hands you a sketch pad.

"Thank you," you say.

You use your pencil from your poetry writing to sketch a rose, complete with shading.

"It's lovely," Raven says.

"Thank you," you say again. "And now, watch as I use the same techniques as Rorek the Fourth to sculpt it out of thin air!"

You hold one hand palm up and the other hand over it as you gather mana for ice magic.

"You see, when it came to ice sculpting," you say as ice crystals form, "my ancestor realized that you don't have to struggle cutting an ice block, when you can just build the ice yourself."

You create the exact same rose you sketched out of nothing but ice crystals made with the moisture in the air between your hands.

"Beautiful!" Starfire says.

"And the best part of how this ice rose is designed..." you say.

You use levitation and movement magic to pluck ice petals off from the outside working in, putting them in the drinking glasses to cool the soda.

"Nice," Beast Boy says. "Art you can drink."

"Oh great," Robin says as he looks at a communication device.

"What is the matter, Robin?" Starfire asks.

"Apparently, Mad Mod got out," Robin says.

"Already?" Cyborg says. "But we literally handed him right to the police!"

"The police report says he just disappeared," Robin keeps reading, "and an old man was in his place. Which they released and let go about his business!"

"Wait, he got all old again?" Beast Boy says. "He said he found the Fountain of Youth."

"Assuming he did find the real Fountain of Youth," Raven says, "the magical effects of the water aren't completely known. It could only be temporary, requiring multiple drinks of water."

"Mad Mod did mention something about bottling water before returning here," Cyborg says. "He must have them stored somewhere for when this happens."

"Which he will return to now that he is free," Starfire says.

"If that's the case," you say.

A) We must track him down
B) We can relax
---

A, sort of. Are there any leads or hints towards Mod's stash of water they can investigate? Find the source, find Mod.
---

A
---

A

"We must track him down."

"Agreed," Robin says. "The police may be looking for young Mad Mod, but we'll also be looking for old Mad Mod. We can split up into three groups of two to have one person on the ground and one person in the air as we search."

"I'll go with Rorek," Raven says before anyone else can speak up.

"Okay," Robin says. "You two go to the industrial distract, I'll go with Starfire uptown while Beast Boy and Cyborg go downtown."

"Guess we'll save these for later," Cyborg says as he puts the pizzas away.

You six get up and Robin gives the ladies binoculars.

"These will help with night vision," he says. "And here's this for you."

Robin hands you a communicator.

"You're now an honorary Titan," Robin smiles.

"Really?" you say. "Thank you, it's an honor."

You and the Titans head back down to the garage, Robin heading out on his motorcycle this time. Like the T-Car, his motorcycle deploys hoverjets to allow him to go over the water. The six of you split up into your pairs, you following Raven Northeast towards the industrial area of the city.

"What could an elderly man even do in an industrial park like this?" you ask.

"Mad Mod may be an obnoxious old man but he's actually quite the technological genius," Raven says. "The very first time we encountered him, he inexplicably knocked us all unconscious and transported us to an abandoned oil rig that he converted into a transformable, mind-bending private academy to try and recondition us to be 'well-behaved young adults'."

"How incredibly pretentious."

"Yep," she says.

You and Raven look around as you continue towards the industrial area. Given this time of day, in that it's basically night, you rarely see anyone you could consider "elderly". Raven flying high above doesn't seem to spot old man Mod either. You arrive in the empty lot of an old factory, park Shadowfax and walk towards the abandoned building.

"Technological genius or not, I don't think Mad Mod is out here," you say as Raven flies over the roof. "The padlocks are still on the door, there's no broken window, and no footprints in the dirt other than those of animals."

"I don't see anyone inside the building, either," Raven says as she uses the nightvision to look through a window. "Though, there is a lot of machinery in here that he could put to good use."

"How do you use these communicators?" you ask as you look at yours.

At that moment, your communicator screen shows an image of Robin.

"Titans, regroup uptown," he says. "We spotted Mad Mod checking into a hotel room as his elderly self, he could be drinking his Fountain of Youth water as we speak."

"On our way," Raven replies.

You follow Raven again as you go North by Northwest. You enter the more lavish uptown area and weave your way around high rise buildings. You see someone jump from a very high window and deploy a pair of jetwings with a Union Jack pattern sloppily painted on them. A rocket powers their flight as they fly towards downtown.

"Mad Mod's getting away!" Starfire shouts as she gives chase.

*SMASH RUMBLE SMASH*

"But something else is wreaking havoc on the floor Mad Mod leapt from," Robin shouts as he looks up. He aims a device and launches a grappling hook up at the open window.

A) Join Starfire in chasing Mad Mod
B) Join Robin in stopping whatever's in the hotel
---

B
---

B. Possibly try to tell Starfire to disengage.
---

A
---

B

"Um, could I get a lift?" you ask.

Raven floats over and reaches out her hands. You grab hold and she carries you up as Robin uses his grappling hook to reel himself to the window.

"Thank you," you say as you climb through the window yourself.

Raven joins you and Robin in the hotel room and see the door frame has been busted, and rumbling can be heard down the hallway. The three of you run down the hall towards the sound, and then speed up when a scream can be heard.

"It's heading downstairs," Robin shouts as he leaps over a banister.

Raven follows with flight, you jump over and down. You look further down and see a metal man with something resembling the Union Jack attached to him, stomping down the stairs and scaring off the people who were headed up.

"I despise having to serve a human," they say in a bassy male voice. "But if it means terrorizing other humans, then I'll tolerate it!"

"Atlas!" Robin says. "So Mad Mod managed to salvage you, too."

Atlas turns towards you, showing the Union Jack device goes all around his torso.

"The Teen Titans," he says with a sadistic smile. "Getting to crush you will be worth playing along with that fool with the bowl cut."

Atlas aims an arm at you three, his hand becomes a cannon muzzle! You three move out of the way as he blasts a hole into the stairway!

Robin throws discs at the Union Jack, they explode, but the Union Jack is undamaged. Raven uses magic to throw scraps of the stairs at Atlas' face, he reacts with annoyance, you throw a magical charge at him and prepare the hand sign.

"Inazuma!"

Lightning flies and hits Atlas and the Union Jack device, but for all the energy coursing through his circuits, Atlas is unaffected.

"I must admit," Atlas says. "That buck-toothed buffoon did extraordinary work strengthening my internal systems. I will be merciful when I finally get to mutilate him."

Atlas turns one arm into a two-sided battle ax and the other is the cannon. He shoots again, blasting more of the staircase away, you three surround him. He swings his ax hand at Robin, who ducks and throws more projectiles at him. They explode into smokebombs, clouding Atlas' vision.

"Raven, Rorek, the ground!" Robin says.

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

"Necronom, Hesberect, Mortix!"

Your spells combine and crumble the concrete foundation below Atlas. The ground gives way and the large robot falls down to be shoulder deep in the floor. He struggles against the rubble on top of him, and even uses the cannon arm to blast some away.

"What's Mad Mod planning if he's got you on a leash?" Robin asks.

"I neither know nor care," Atlas says. "I'm just here to create chaos, which is good enough for me!"

Atlas finishes blasting away the debris, but you've already got another spell on the way.

"Avalon, Osaia, Agrisor, Erum!"

You use both hands and push Atlas down with pure magical force.

"What? What is this?!" Atlas says. "I feel... heavier!"

Atlas falls deeper through the floor, until he is several meters below ground level. You then stop, having pushed your arms to their limits.

"Was that gravity magic?" Raven asks as she helps you stay standing.

"Yes," you say. "Learned that for myself from the extended family, making me the first Rorek to learn it."

Atlas is still struggling against the rubble surrounding him. You hear a whirring, and realize Atlas now has a drill.
---

"He really is upgraded since the last time," Robin says. "He'll dig his way out of there soon enough, we have to stop him now and catch up with the others."

A) Break him
B) Bind him
C) Drain him
---

B) Bind him
---