* Note from the author: Thanks for the compliment on the name, I think.
Anyway, Most of my writing utilizes names with deeper meanings. Example,
"spurious" means "Lacking authenticity or validity in essence or origin;
not genuine; false" or "of illegitimate birth" I like to think of them as
little Easter Eggs for my fans*
Ch. 2: Answers
"Whoa," Beast Boy said, effectively summing up everyone's response, "Raven is married?" Raven merely scowled at the ring in silence.
"Another mystery," Robin said inspecting the ring, "also, how did he know who all of us were? And more importantly, how was he able to use our own abilities against us?"
"Thinking about it, though," Cyborg said putting his hand on his chin, "he did take it easier on Raven than the rest of us." Raven growled to herself.
"So, we're going to find this guy and get some answers. Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, scan overhead, see if you can locate this guy. Cyborg, see if you can find anything on him, I'll check a few sources downtown."
"Great idea," Raven thought, "as if we didn't get beat badly enough together, now he can pick us off one by one." Nonetheless, Raven did as Robin suggested, levitating above the city trying to find the young man, all the while clutching the ring. Day faded into night, with no sign of the stranger in sight. Raven was about ready to head home when a voice called out to her. She followed it to an abandoned building.
"Hello, Raven," he said emerging from the shadows. He looked different this time. He wore black leather pants with a crimson scarf wrapped tightly around his lower jaw and over his shoulder, and his once short back hair had grown long and was pulled into a tail. His face was still pale and gaunt, yet rigid and handsome.
"What are you doing here, Melchiah?"
"I just wanted to see my wife. It was your friends who attacked me, isn't it?" he pointed out. "You acted as if you didn't know me. I was afraid you didn't recognize me."
"I almost didn't, you were wearing one of your false forms, remember? This jogged my memory," she tossed the ring to Spurious, who caught it in midair and put it back on.
"Don't you wear yours?" he asked. Raven reached under her costume, producing a ring kept on a long silver chain.
"Of course I do. I might not be the sentimental type, but what we had was... special. I loved you, Melchiah. I still do. But things are different now. It didn't work then, how could it work now? I live here, with the Titans, you're the King of Midrashim, where I am not welcome."
Spurious sighed. "That's why I'm here. Midrashim is no more. My entire world has been wiped out."
"I see," Raven said, slightly surprised. "I'll take you to the Tower. Hopefully the other Titans will allow you to stay. I still haven't told them about you, yet." Raven led him to the tower, where they waited in the living room. Raven radioed the rest of the team. "This is Raven, come back to the tower. There's something I need to tell you all." Raven sat down and sighed nervously. Spurious rested his hand on Raven's.
The other Titans arrived minutes later, and Raven stood before them. "Everyone, this is Melchiah. He... is my husband."
Everybody's jaw dropped. Beast Boy said his usual "Whoa" while Robin took a more inquisitive stance.
"You're awfully young to be married," he stated.
Raven began to explain, but Melchiah cut her off. "I should do this," he said firmly. "My name is King Melchiah Spurious XIII of Midrashim. I met Raven three years ago, when she visited my world. At the time, I was in exile, my kingdom usurped by my uncle. With Raven's help, I was able to reclaim my kingdom. Shortly after, I took Raven as my Queen. It is quite common on my world to marry young, especially those of royal lineage."
"Why are you here? If you're a king, then..."
"I was a king. My world is gone. That is why I am here."
"What happened?" Raven asked.
"We were betrayed by a false god," he answered remorsefully. "You know of our deity, Raven, Malach Ra." He turned to face the other Titans. "Malach Ra was our chief deity, worshiped exclusively on Midrashim. We'd offer it the souls of the dead in tribute, in exchange for its blessing. But what we didn't know was that Malach Ra was a cancer to our world, feeding on us, weakening us. Eventually its minions started taking living victims. Raven tried to warn us, but I was the only one who listened. That is why she had to leave; the people of my world had branded her a heretic and threatened her life. It wasn't until later, when Malach Ra's feedings took on an epidemic proportion that the people of Midrashim took action. We organized a party of the finest warriors in Midrashim, and attacked."
"I take it didn't go so well," Beast Boy said.
"Of hundreds of warriors that came with me, only I survived. I retraced my wife's path through the realities to here. At first, my mission was to enlist your aid, but after I departed, I called home, and found this." He held out a small, holographic device, showing a dead world. "Although I am saddened from the loss of my homeworld, I am relieved that Malach Ra hasn't found this one, and that my wife is safe among friends."
"How sad," Starfire said. She burst out crying.
Melchiah looked at her cynically. "Is she always this sentimental?" he whispered to Raven.
"I'm afraid so," she answered.
Starfire abruptly stopped her sobbing, stretched out and yawned. "I'm tired."
"It has been a long day. I suppose we should all get some rest. There's more I want to know about you, Spurious, but it can wait until tomorrow."
"I'm gonna..." Beast Boy began until Cyborg grabbed his ear.
"...go to bed," Cyborg whispered to him. "We're going to give Raven and her husband some privacy, got it?" They walked away, leaving Raven and Melchiah in silence.
"That was rather sweet of you," Raven finally said, "but unnecessary. I can take care of myself."
"I know," Melchiah responded, "but I missed you. I thought about you every day when you left." He stared deep into Raven's eyes.
"I missed you too, Melchiah," she answered. "You were the only one I could ever connect to, the only one I could stay up all night talking to." Raven them did something she rarely did, she smiled. Slowly, she closed her eyes, and kissed him.
...................Next: Melchiah tries to adapt to life on Earth. Plus, a Titans foe returns for revenge!
Ch. 2: Answers
"Whoa," Beast Boy said, effectively summing up everyone's response, "Raven is married?" Raven merely scowled at the ring in silence.
"Another mystery," Robin said inspecting the ring, "also, how did he know who all of us were? And more importantly, how was he able to use our own abilities against us?"
"Thinking about it, though," Cyborg said putting his hand on his chin, "he did take it easier on Raven than the rest of us." Raven growled to herself.
"So, we're going to find this guy and get some answers. Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, scan overhead, see if you can locate this guy. Cyborg, see if you can find anything on him, I'll check a few sources downtown."
"Great idea," Raven thought, "as if we didn't get beat badly enough together, now he can pick us off one by one." Nonetheless, Raven did as Robin suggested, levitating above the city trying to find the young man, all the while clutching the ring. Day faded into night, with no sign of the stranger in sight. Raven was about ready to head home when a voice called out to her. She followed it to an abandoned building.
"Hello, Raven," he said emerging from the shadows. He looked different this time. He wore black leather pants with a crimson scarf wrapped tightly around his lower jaw and over his shoulder, and his once short back hair had grown long and was pulled into a tail. His face was still pale and gaunt, yet rigid and handsome.
"What are you doing here, Melchiah?"
"I just wanted to see my wife. It was your friends who attacked me, isn't it?" he pointed out. "You acted as if you didn't know me. I was afraid you didn't recognize me."
"I almost didn't, you were wearing one of your false forms, remember? This jogged my memory," she tossed the ring to Spurious, who caught it in midair and put it back on.
"Don't you wear yours?" he asked. Raven reached under her costume, producing a ring kept on a long silver chain.
"Of course I do. I might not be the sentimental type, but what we had was... special. I loved you, Melchiah. I still do. But things are different now. It didn't work then, how could it work now? I live here, with the Titans, you're the King of Midrashim, where I am not welcome."
Spurious sighed. "That's why I'm here. Midrashim is no more. My entire world has been wiped out."
"I see," Raven said, slightly surprised. "I'll take you to the Tower. Hopefully the other Titans will allow you to stay. I still haven't told them about you, yet." Raven led him to the tower, where they waited in the living room. Raven radioed the rest of the team. "This is Raven, come back to the tower. There's something I need to tell you all." Raven sat down and sighed nervously. Spurious rested his hand on Raven's.
The other Titans arrived minutes later, and Raven stood before them. "Everyone, this is Melchiah. He... is my husband."
Everybody's jaw dropped. Beast Boy said his usual "Whoa" while Robin took a more inquisitive stance.
"You're awfully young to be married," he stated.
Raven began to explain, but Melchiah cut her off. "I should do this," he said firmly. "My name is King Melchiah Spurious XIII of Midrashim. I met Raven three years ago, when she visited my world. At the time, I was in exile, my kingdom usurped by my uncle. With Raven's help, I was able to reclaim my kingdom. Shortly after, I took Raven as my Queen. It is quite common on my world to marry young, especially those of royal lineage."
"Why are you here? If you're a king, then..."
"I was a king. My world is gone. That is why I am here."
"What happened?" Raven asked.
"We were betrayed by a false god," he answered remorsefully. "You know of our deity, Raven, Malach Ra." He turned to face the other Titans. "Malach Ra was our chief deity, worshiped exclusively on Midrashim. We'd offer it the souls of the dead in tribute, in exchange for its blessing. But what we didn't know was that Malach Ra was a cancer to our world, feeding on us, weakening us. Eventually its minions started taking living victims. Raven tried to warn us, but I was the only one who listened. That is why she had to leave; the people of my world had branded her a heretic and threatened her life. It wasn't until later, when Malach Ra's feedings took on an epidemic proportion that the people of Midrashim took action. We organized a party of the finest warriors in Midrashim, and attacked."
"I take it didn't go so well," Beast Boy said.
"Of hundreds of warriors that came with me, only I survived. I retraced my wife's path through the realities to here. At first, my mission was to enlist your aid, but after I departed, I called home, and found this." He held out a small, holographic device, showing a dead world. "Although I am saddened from the loss of my homeworld, I am relieved that Malach Ra hasn't found this one, and that my wife is safe among friends."
"How sad," Starfire said. She burst out crying.
Melchiah looked at her cynically. "Is she always this sentimental?" he whispered to Raven.
"I'm afraid so," she answered.
Starfire abruptly stopped her sobbing, stretched out and yawned. "I'm tired."
"It has been a long day. I suppose we should all get some rest. There's more I want to know about you, Spurious, but it can wait until tomorrow."
"I'm gonna..." Beast Boy began until Cyborg grabbed his ear.
"...go to bed," Cyborg whispered to him. "We're going to give Raven and her husband some privacy, got it?" They walked away, leaving Raven and Melchiah in silence.
"That was rather sweet of you," Raven finally said, "but unnecessary. I can take care of myself."
"I know," Melchiah responded, "but I missed you. I thought about you every day when you left." He stared deep into Raven's eyes.
"I missed you too, Melchiah," she answered. "You were the only one I could ever connect to, the only one I could stay up all night talking to." Raven them did something she rarely did, she smiled. Slowly, she closed her eyes, and kissed him.
...................Next: Melchiah tries to adapt to life on Earth. Plus, a Titans foe returns for revenge!