*4*
That night Gomez calls out to Gaea.
Saffire snuggles deeper under the covers pretending to be fast asleep-not wanting to let Slade find out that she is starting to question him as she thinks hard to communicate with her new moon. "Whatisit?"
"Ifoundthetwins.TheydoknowaSladebutwonderifitisthesameoneyouaretalkingabout."
"Yes.Hewasresponsibleforsendingtheirdemonbrothersagainstthem.HeclaimedtheyweretheevilonesandatthetimeIdidnotremembermycosmicselfandbelievedhim."
"YouthinkthisSladeguyisevil?"
"Iambecomingconcernedthathisintentionistousemyavatarform'scontrolovertheearthforsomedarkpurpose."
"Si...Iunderstandwhyyouareconcerned.IfthisSladeisbadwhatdoyouwishmetodo?"
"LetmeknowandIwillreturntomyavatarformandstophimbeforehecancarryouthisplans.IwillnotpunishhimifthereisanychanceifthatIamwrong."
"IgobacktothetwinsnowandfindoutwhatIcan."
-4-
Raven returns to her brother in a swirl of dark magic.
"About time you finally show up. I've been calling you for hours." He turns to face his sister-this time its his turn to be upset.
"You are determined to ruin my trip with Cameron aren't you?"
"This isn't about your date. Did you even for a second stop to consider what Gomez said before you sent him off to me?"
"Gaea sent him to look for someone named Slade-"
"-And she knows us. You and me-as Raven and Red X. Don't you think that stands to reason that the Slade she is looking for is the one we both know? I think that is a little more important than your date right now." He takes a breath to calm down. "I want you to be happy and if this Cameron guy does it for you-I may not like it but I will deal with it. Right now you need to tame down the wild ways you have had since getting back your planet status."
"You seriously think Gaea sent Gomez to check out the villain we know."
"We know he had plans of stealing our powers for world domination not all that long ago."
"Wait...How could Gaea know us as Raven and Red X?"
They both turn around as Gomez returns. "Gaea says the Slade you know is the one she wants to know about. He is the one who sent you're demon brothers after you."
The twins glance at each other.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Artemis shivers remembering what the two of them did to Apollo.
Apollo glances at his sister before turning back to Gomez. "Why does Gaea want to know about Slade?"
Gomez looks from one twin to the other. "She believes that he has plans to use her powers to take control of the earth."
"That sounds exactly like Slade. He knows who we are-does that mean he knows who Gaea is too?" Artemis turns to her brother.
"I wouldn't put it past him." Apollo looks up at Gomez. "Why hasn't she contacted us before now?"
"Gaea said that at first she did not remember her cosmic self and only recently has come to remember it. She wanted to know about this Slade's intentions before she returned to her avatar form to stop him."
Apollo glances at Artemis. "Return to her avatar form? Does that mean she was reborn as human like us?"
Gomez merely shrugs to show he doesn't know.
Apollo continues. "Who is she and how does she know who we are? You would think she looked similar to her avatar form...flaming red hair-eyes sparkling like ocean blue jewels-"
Remembering the first time she met a girl who fits that description Artemis gasps. "-Saffire!"
Apollo turns to Artemis. "But how could Slade have her? She was...adopted..."
Artemis looks up at her brother. "...By Slade's alter ego no doubt."
"We've got to find her. If Slade knows who she is-he may have some way to stop her from using her avatar powers against him." Apollo turns to Gomez. "Do you know how to find her?"
"She just spoke to me. She did not say where she is-just that she wanted me to tell her what I found out about this man."
"You have to tell her we need to know where she is and not to try anything until we can get there."
Gomez. "Si-I will try."