The Titans gathered in the command room, a holographic map of Jump City flickering above the table. Robin stood with his arms folded, pacing slowly as the others watched. His voice was steady, clipped, focused.
"Whoever Raven sensed last night isn't your average metahuman," he said. "If he was, Cyborg's systems would've picked something up by now. That means he's either masking his presence, or he's operating on a level we haven't seen before."
Beast Boy leaned back in his chair and spun lazily. "So… creepy supervillain dude who's good at hide-and-seek? Yeah, that's not terrifying at all."
"Not funny," Robin snapped.
"I wasn't joking," Beast Boy muttered under his breath, but he quickly straightened up when Raven's gaze cut to him.
Cyborg tapped a few keys on the console, and streams of data scrolled across the screen. "I can reroute the sensors to scan for non-standard energy spikes. Not just metahuman or alien signatures. We're talking anomalies—stuff that doesn't fit."
Robin nodded. "Do it. Starfire, help him. The more ground we can cover, the better."
Starfire hovered slightly off the ground, fists glowing faintly as determination hardened her features. "If this being intends harm toward Raven or the city, they will answer to the Titans."
Raven sat quietly at the far end of the table, her hood shadowing her expression. But even in silence, she felt their eyes on her. She sighed softly and finally spoke. "He's not ordinary. He's strong, deliberate, and… curious."
Robin's head snapped toward her. "Curious?"
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "He knew who I was. Not just in the way villains know the Titans. He looked at me like…" She stopped, catching herself before saying too much. "…like he'd been waiting."
That got the room quiet.
Beast Boy raised a cautious hand. "Sooo… stalker vibes, right? We're not talking, like, potential secret admirer, right?"
Raven shot him a look that could melt steel. "No."
Robin, ignoring the exchange, leaned on the table. "If he's targeting you specifically, that makes this even more dangerous. We'll find him, Raven. Whatever it takes."
Her gaze lowered again. A part of her wanted to argue, to tell them not to worry, but another part—the part still replaying that strange smirk in her mind—stayed silent.
Meanwhile, far from the sleek walls of Titans Tower, Muzan stretched out comfortably in an abandoned church on the edge of the city. The broken pew beneath him creaked, but he didn't care. He sat like it was a throne, legs crossed, one arm draped lazily across the backrest.
Sunlight slipped through shattered stained-glass windows, painting him in fractured colors. The image was almost ironic—hell's predator lounging in a house once meant for worship.
He raised his hand and flicked his fingers. A small pulse of dark energy burst forth, cracking the altar in half. The wooden cross toppled with a hollow thud.
"Oops," Muzan said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Guess I should watch my strength. Wouldn't want to upset the neighborhood watch."
He laughed lightly to himself, then conjured another pulse of energy—this one tighter, more controlled, forming into a floating sphere that pulsed like a heart. He let it hover before making it collapse into smoke between his fingers.
"Power's coming back fast," he murmured. "Faster than I expected. Almost too easy." He yawned, leaning back further, his crimson eyes glowing faintly beneath the shadows. "But what's the point in rushing?"
He tapped his chin, thinking aloud. "The Titans are strong, no doubt. Robin's got his daddy issues with Batman, Cyborg's tech is no joke, and Starfire's raw power would tear through most enemies. Even the green idiot has his uses." A smirk tugged at his lips. "And Raven… she's the key, isn't she? Half-demon, half-human. A walking contradiction. A storm bottled inside a single body."
His smile grew softer, almost amused. "She's the one I want. The others? They're obstacles. Entertaining ones, sure, but still just obstacles."
He paused, then chuckled under his breath. "Still, it'd be stupid to provoke them now. They fight me, and who shows up next? Batman with his paranoia? Superman with his glowing-boy-scout smile? Or maybe the League itself, knocking on my door because I scared their little protégés." He let his head loll back, voice mocking. "Yeah, no thanks. I'm not in the mood to deal with a Justice League welcome party."
He stretched, yawning again. "Better to play the long game. Let them hunt. Let them sweat. I'll just… nap."
Muzan reclined fully on the pew, one leg dangling lazily, his arm resting behind his head. His crimson eyes flickered shut as he muttered to himself with a smirk.
"They think they're hunting me. Cute. Really cute."
The church fell silent again, save for the faint hum of his energy crackling faintly in the air. The Demon King from another world closed his eyes and drifted into a mock slumber, utterly unbothered by the heroes scrambling to find him.
And somewhere, deep inside Raven's chest, the presence of his aura tugged again, faint but undeniable. She couldn't sense his exact location, but she knew. He was out there. Watching. Waiting.
The hunt had begun.