The Quest (a medieval AU)-Chapter 2

"So, how long have you lived in Jump?"

Sir Richard, or Dick as he was being referred to, and Vic had been walking the cold damp streets of Jump Town and where almost at Vic's famous Tavern, the Titans Tower. They had been walking for a good fifteen minutes and in that time were asking each other questions and learning more and more about each other's lives, and quickly found they shared a few likes and dislikes. This particular question actually brought Vic off guard for he was too busy thinking about his special someone - Karen.

"Er, well, I used to live in StarLight City, ya know..."

"That one that was invaded by the death soldiers?" Sir Richard continued for him.

Vic could only nod in agreement.

"And, why a tavern?"

"Well, I always really wanted to be a chef, I dunno why, just, it was cool ya know, all the smells and the sights and the smiles on peoples faces when they liked the food YOU cooked for em, I mean, it's a nice. Then I came to Jump to maybe open my own food stall, and then I met her..." A dark red blush formed on Victor's cheeks.

Dick grinned slyly, "And who is... her?"

Vic had to bow his face to stop the blush but when he started talking about 'her' he looked up with a dreamy look in his eyes, almost in a trance.

"Her names - ow!"

Sir Richard quickly turned towards Vic to see he was ok and was caught off as a black tentacle like thing tripped him up as he ran over to Cyborg, who was lying on the other side of the path after being knocked out. Then the tentacle picked his leg up and threw him into the air - landing him in the bushes.

After getting up out of the leaves which had luckily broken his fall, Dick brushed himself down and looked around a little. This was defiantly no inn, in fact, it didn't even look like they where in town anymore. The landscape had tall, snowy mountains peeking up over acres and acres of pine wood forest, and the ground was thick with fluffy white snow and ice.

Wait, when does it snow in spring?

'Somethings not right here...' Sir Richard was puzzled and unfortunately things began to make even less sense than before. The knight turned around and saw black steel gate, with an aura of purple magic around the side and dark green ivy twisting its way up the the middle of it and at the top was a glowing gem, radiant reds burning off it. He looked through the gate and stared in shock - there was Jump, the candle lamps dimly illuminating the paved path they had just walked down. But then when Dick went around to the other, behind the gate was the same snow he was standing on now, NOT Jump.

But where was Vic?! Franticly he went to the spot where the pirate look alike had been last, but he wasn't there. Richard began to get a teeny, weeny tiny bit worried, he was ok though, right? He tried to shake off this unknown feeling as he searched for his missing friend.

Dick was beginning to get desperate, where had that guy lumped off to?He was tall and not very forgettable at all, you could spot him from a mile away with his flaming red eye patch and smug grin. He MUST be around here, he knew it.

In that desperation Sir Richard was a little surprised to see that standing before him the whole time was a little stone cottage, snug between two tall trees. Of course Vic would have probably gone in there! He hasn't known him long but Dick had known him long enough to know that Vic loved food, especially meat, and he probably needed his daily dosage of ribs by now. As he had been with Sir Richard himself all night the tall guy was probably starving! Now Dick felt calmer, and happier, he knew where Vic was - wait, why was this important to him?

Oh yeah, he was his friend.

Dick couldn't remember the last time he had proper friend. A friend that didn't lie to you and snitch on you and sleep with your betrothed for crying out loud. Since he had made friends with Vic, he had this urge to help and protect him, even though he knew he could take care of himself. It sounded cheesy, yes, and also kind of gay, but he felt that need to be the take charge in the situation so his friend wouldn't get hurt.

Sir Richard also promised himself to never bring up this mental conversation he had to save any further embarrassment.

And also kept muttering to himself that he was straight.

Just as Dick was about to open the gnarled door, it was encased in a strange dark energy and blasted open, leaving a hooded figure with four burning, blood eyes staring a hole through him. Before he could say anything that same tentacle came out from under the cloak and grabbed his head and banged it into the ground.

His head pounding, Sir Richard began to feel sick and mentally fought to stay conscious but soon sleep won the battle and he slowly slipped into a never ending darkness.

When Dick woke up he was alarmed to find himself encased with the same black energy, too strong for him to get out. He struggled to wiggle free but no use, he was stuck in the same small hard wooden chair, incredibly uncomfortable. Sir Richard glanced around, he realised he must be in that little hut; the walls and floors cold stone and the roof thatched. A fire heated up the room, warming his cold body and if it wasn't for the chimney the room would have been full of smoke. He looked to his right and saw Vic in a similar state, except he was arguing with a petite girl with shoulder length, dark hair, violit irises and a... cape.

That was the hooded figure that had taken them down! Dick couldn't believe that a girl so... well, simply a girl had that much power inside, any at all in fact, in Gotham there weren't exactly 'lady knights'. The women he knew where for kissing or doing chores as a servant, this was brand new.

He hadn't realised he had been looking at Vic and the girl until she smacked him with a dark tentacle and glared at him, feeling the burn from her. Cyborg noticed however and he smiled and began talking.

"Don't worry, little Rae here is just upset that her boy - hey Raven, c'mon! I'm upset too!"

How did Vic know this girl?

She seemed less powerful though when she looked down, pain plastered on her face, "Sorry, it's just... ok, don't EVER tell him this, but, I really miss Gar..." she muttered, her tone getting quieter and quieter.

"I know Raven I miss em too." and with that she released Victor from her energy and he pulled her into a hug.

When they let go, Sir Richard saw her face was red and eyes puffy, she had obviously been crying earlier about this 'Gar' dude.

"Must really like each each other."

As soon as the words came out his mouth he wanted to grab them and stuff them back in, and when he saw the girls blush and furious glare he knew he was screwed.

She huffed at Vic who had whispered something in her ear (which had embarrassed her even more) then she addressed Dick with a scowl.

"So why are you here, Prince Gotham?"

"Vic!"

Victor smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "I tell Raven a lot of things, she's like my little sister, isn't that right Rae-Rae?"

Raven elbowed him and replied sarcastically, "Yeah yeah big brother, anyway, why did you bring him here!"

"Jeez sorry, I was just bringing Dickie here to the Tavern, he didn't have a place to stay and I didn't realise we had walked through your portal!"

Sir Richard joined in here, "Er, portal?"

"You know the black gate near by, well, that's a portal into this pocket dimension. When I came to Jump I wanted to live here, just not in close contact with other people..." Raven quietly said.

"And why, may I ask?"

A fist made of the dark magic bunched him in his gut, and boy did it stung.

"I have my reasons ok!" Raven barked back, then she turned to Cyborg so he would continue.

Vic began talking again to the small teen, "Anyway, he had ran into some trouble with the guards, or should I say death soldiers in disguise, and I was pretty tired so I didn't know we had walked through your portal!"

"It does tend to pop up at random places sometimes, especially when you or the others come close, it kind of recognise you as 'not strangers'" she admitted, bringing her hood down calmly, "and I also had a hunch about those guards, they seemed to be doing more bad than good."

Dick put his own say into the conversation as well, "It was a new death soldier called Billy Numerous, as the name says he can make identical copies of himself and was undoubtedly sent by HIM to pose as the 'guards' and take down Jump City from the inside.

Raven nodded seriously at the knight.

"You know a lot about death stroke and his army then?"

"Yeah, he was constantly attacking Gotham and the smaller villages around the town so the Dark Knight and I learnt a lot about Slade." Dick replied.

She gave him a miffed look, "Slade?"

"We found out his real name is Slade Wilson, and we tend to call him that since the name seems less intimidating."

The sorceress seemed to be lost in thought until she snapped to Victor, "Should we tell him?"

"I think we should." he smiled a warm smile at his lil' sis.

"Tell me what exactly?"

Raven took a deep breath before telling her story, "For a few days I had been reading this ancient book from the lands of Nol about a dragon and sorceress named Malchior and Rorek. It was so gripping that I barely took breaks from it and it didn't take me long to read, even though it is one of the largest ones I have ever read."

She laughed a little distantly then carried on.

"When I was about to put it back, a voice called me to stop. I was surprised, but then found out it was Malchior, the hero in the story, and he had been trapped in the book by a curse from the dragon Rorek. I tried all my magic to free him but my power was too weak, so he taught me how. For two weeks he taught me everything he knew, we chatted, laughed, and I found myself liking him. Like, like liking him. He didn't think I was creepy or weird, I thought he understood me better than everyone else..." Raven stiffened and kept a brave face on, mustering up the courage to tell the rest of the tale.

"Soon I had learnt enough, I was ready. I performed the spell and he stepped out the book, pages covering his body and lower face revealing only his eyes and hair. I found myself falling head over heals for him. He even called me...beautiful" That last part was barely a whisper, and Cyborg had brought her into another hug.

"I had to enchant one more spell on Malchior so he would be truly rid of the curse, but when I did... I found out he had the wasn't the knight, the prince, the hero he claimed to be, Rorek was, he was the evil dragon. He had changed the names and lied and tricked me into freeing him. I had fallen in love with a villain."

Hot tears tears were pouring down the young girls face as she spoke between sobs, "At the time of his banishment he was a death soldier working for DeathStroke, and had deceived me so he could capture me and force me into his army because of my powers. However I fought back, along with Vic, Kori and Gar. We battled and battled and battled and thought we had own... until he caught us unprepared and grabbed Kori and Gar. He said he was going to take him to DeathStroke to be in his army and before we could take him down... he... he... teleported away! I could have saved them, used my power, done something! But I didn't, I let him...and...and now..."

Victor rocked Raven as she sobbed, sobbed until there were no tears left to cry. Sir Richard was astounded at what he been told. How terrible! How awful! How painful to see your best friends (and possibly love interest) stripped away from you by a man who lied and tricked you into loving him and letting him to get away, be free, to roam the kingdom and cause destruction along with the most hated crook in this age.

Then Dick felt that feeling again, that feeling when he thought something bad had happened to Vic and now he was feeling it with his new friend. He felt that feeling to be a leader, be a friend, be a brother to this girl and help in anyway he could. It was so strange, he had never felt anything like it before. It overwhelmed him and pounded through every vein in his body until he was intoxicated in helping.

"I will help."

"What?"

"I want to help," he said confidently, "I have been fighting Slade for years and I am not going to stop now. Mh new friends have just been affected and two of their own have been kidnapped by him! I don't just want to help, I need to help."

Raven raised an eyebrow, "We, friends?"

"We are going to be like siblings Raven."

She was meant to sound cold but he saw the smile tugging at the corners of her lips, "Yeah we are definitely like twins - Dick." She smirked before folding her arms across her chest as Sir Richard scowled at her.

"Now Raven,"

"What"

"Can you release me from this black magic trap please?"

END OF CHAPTER