Crisis of Souls
By: theunknownvoice
Chapter 1: A Dangerous Relationship
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All characters are the property of DC Comics.
She had known he had been in the tower. She had felt his presence even in her drug induced state.
She shouldn't have known why he had come back. Tim's bloodied body was a testimony to his anger. It was the blood on the walls that disturbed her more than Tim's condition.
He had written in his own blood those fateful words: Jason Todd was here.
His anger and aggression did not surprise her. His desire to exact revenge and to test Tim not surprising either. She knew what he was capable of and that his inner demons were as tormenting as her own.
She could not help Jason. She could not help her friend. Perhaps later when the turmoil of the Crisis ended she would go see him.
A Month Later
The funeral for Superboy was enough to grate on Raven's frazzled nerves. She didn't want to hear one more time about how he was at peace. She was tired of the feelings of sorrow, grief and anger that surrounded her. Her mind screamed for relief.
In desperation she fled the memorial service. She glided towards the graveyard in Gotham. She had often come here after they had buried him. The lone solitary grave had been a place for her to rest and regain herself. A place for her to remember her hot-headed friend.
The cemetery in Gotham never had too many visitors especially not at this late hour of the night. She felt his presence behind her instantly. He was angry and full of hatred, bitter and enraged. The desire for vengeance and love consumed him warping his reality.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
"I didn't want to sit through Superboy's funeral. I have already buried too many friends to want to burry more," she whispered.
They were both broken. They were both lost in the swirl of right and wrong. They were imperfect creatures that populated an imperfect world.
She had been born damned. Her fate was to destroy the world, the universe, and create a hell on earth.
He had been born to be abandoned, shunned, and unloved. The streets had been his playground and his childhood virtually nonexistent.
They had both died and came back to a world that had gone on without them. It had been as if their presence wasn't missed. They were two ghosts traveling through the world of the living.
She could not forget the terrors of her father. She could not forgive that monster for the destruction he had caused and the damage to her soul he had inflicted.
He could not forsake the memory of the bullet entering his body. It had been a coldly calculated murder. He could not forgive the father who did not avenge him or the murderer who laughed as he lay bleeding to death on the ground.
"Jason, why are you avoiding me?" she asked breaking the silence.
"I'm not avoiding you. I just prefer to be alone," he answered.
She stared at the grave.
"I miss him," she said pointing to the tombstone. "I miss how he was reckless and angry. I miss how he thought he could change the world. He lived through a hell that no child should be forced to endure but he survived. He had his scars but he wasn't completely broken."
"I'm not that boy anymore. I've learned that the world is cruel and unrelenting. You can't change it by putting the criminals behind bars. You have to put them to death in order that they never kill, rape, or molest another person again."
"When it's all said and done what happens to you? You've made yourself a killer. When you finally kill the Joker, what then? Who gave you the right to deal out death and justice? What will become of you when you're death is avenged?"
"I'll go back into the shadows. I'll fade away just like everyone wanted me to."
"I don't want that for you," she whispered.
"It doesn't matter what you want," he said.
Three Years Later
She was training. It was the most exhausting thing that she had ever been through. Whoever had allowed Cyborg to design an obstacle course was nuts. She paused for a second and looked towards the dark far right corner of the room.
"I know you're there Jason," she said.
"I can't fool you anymore," he said coming from the shadows.
"The others aren't here," she replied as she went through the course.
"I came to see you. I know you've keeping our meetings a secret Rachel.
She winced slightly at her alternative name.
"I'm making a life for myself. Besides why should the others care if I'm seeing you? We're just friends."
"If we're just friends then why did Gar think you were seeing another man?"
She felt like she had been slapped.
"Admit it Raven, you are as broken as I am," he said smirking.
"I'm not like you, Jason," she said calmly. "I haven't cut off all of my emotions and become a killer."
"I can still feel," he replied.
He moved closer and kissed her harshly. She fought him but responded in the end to his touch.
"You'll see Raven. Yes, we're friends but we're also something more."
"What do you want from me?"
"Nothing. Let's just keep this our little secret," he said as he retreated into the shadows.
She fingers traced her lips. What had she gotten herself into?
The End