Chapter 6: Advent
"So, little brother, this is the world you've chosen to reside? I must say, it doesn't look like much." Invictus smirked. "And these beings? Such short- lived weaklings?"
"Shut up, Invictus," Spurious said as he lunged at his brother. With a wave of his hand, Invictus summoned a strong gust that threw Spurious to the ground.
"Now dear brother, had I wished to harm you, you would already be dead. I have nothing to gain in your destruction."
"Then why are you here?"
"To offer a warning. Our sister is coming."
"Sister? You can't mean..." Spurious replied with worried eyes.
"Her arrival is imminent, dear brother. Be prepared. I will seek you out when she breaches the portal, tomorrow at the midday hour." Invictus gracefully floated away, leaving a wide-eyed Spurious in shock as the other Titans approached.
"We can't let him get away!" Robin yelled, "after him."
"Hold," Spurious said barring Robin's path. "We have much bigger things to worry about."
***
The Titans regrouped back at the tower, once again with Spurious being the storyteller. "My mother," he said, "gave birth the three children. The first was my brother, Invictus. The second was I, Melchiah. The third was our sister, Lisseth. But Lisseth was born 'normal' not in the emaciated, fragile state the rest of us were. Furthermore, when she underwent the Rebirth, the demons fled from her. My people took this as a sign, made her a deity." Spurious sighed deeply. "She became the destroyer of my world, Malach-Ra. And if my brother is to be believed, she is on her way here."
"Okay, if you and your brother are on the same side, as in keeping your sister away from the buffet table, then why you so hostile?" Cyborg asked.
"We had a rather bad parting. After the Rebirth, he claimed to have received a vision from our Ancestor, for which he was named. He left our home and became a priest. When my uncle usurped the throne, I called on him to help, which he refused. But that's not what's important right now."
"No, its not. We need to know exactly what we're up against here," Robin replied.
"A near omnipotent being with a limitless supply of undead warriors," Spurious said.
"I like the odds," Robin replied. "We need a strategy."
"Maybe we can call in some reinforcements. Like the Justice League or something," Beast Boy suggested.
"Can't," Robin answered, "they're off-world right now."
"I know one way," Spurious said. "Do you have anything that I could use as a forge?"
"The basement furnace," Cyborg answered.
"Good. I'll be down there."
"Geez," Beast Boy said, "He's got the mysterious loner gig down almost as good as you."
The rest of the day went by uneventfully. Beast Boy and Cyborg played video games, with Beast Boy often on the losing end. Robin prepared himself through meditation and training, while Starfire kept herself amused by watching Beast Boy and Cyborg. After hours of waiting, Raven grew worried and made her way to the basement. The opened the door to find it transformed into a makeshift forge. Near the furnace itself, Spurious hammered a long, thin piece of metal with all his strength. The clash of the hammer on metal was deafening. Finally, Spurious noticed his wife, put down the hammer, took off his goggles, and approached.
"Is that what you're going to use to defeat your sister?" she asked.
"I brought a store of Midrashim Steel for such an occasion. I forged this in the tradition of the great kings of Midrashim. Forged in a fire fueled by my own flesh, cooled in my own blood, and fed by my desire and force of will. I pry it will be enough."
"That's pretty elaborate," Raven said examining the sword.
"It has to be, you know how hard it is to kill a Midrashi. Yet Malach-Ra did it with little effort..."
"Don't be like that. You need to be strong," Raven said.
"I know, but she wiped out my whole world, Raven. How much good can we do?"
Raven kissed him, and then slowly pulled away. "You need to figure that out for yourself." She walked up the stairs, and shut the door. She walked upstairs and to her room, were she picked up a book and started reading.
"Good words of wisdom, Raven, but what if he's right? I was with the Midrashi for a short time, but even I could see what powerful warriors they were. Physical damage meant nothing to them; any body part could be regenerated, and their discipline was flawless. If an entire race couldn't beat this thing, can we?"
She sighed, and resumed her reading, but for some reason, she couldn't calm her nerves. She got up, and walked to the kitchen. Beast Boy and Cyborg were still engaged in their video games, with Starfire cheering on both.
"How can they stay so calm in the face of such a crisis?" she thought. She prepared her tea, and returned to her room. She sat on her bed with her book, and tried to relax, but still to no avail. Just then, she felt a strong, warm pair of arms wrap tightly around her body. She sighed heavily, and melted into his arms.
"If this is our last night together, I want to spend it with you," Spurious said kissing Raven on her neck. She smiled.
"I'm sure this won't be. We'll find a way."
"This optimism is so unlike you," he said.
"I've never faced an Apocalypse before. I guess I have to stay optimistic, otherwise... " Raven replied. "I don't want to talk anymore. Just hold me..."
......................To be continued!
"So, little brother, this is the world you've chosen to reside? I must say, it doesn't look like much." Invictus smirked. "And these beings? Such short- lived weaklings?"
"Shut up, Invictus," Spurious said as he lunged at his brother. With a wave of his hand, Invictus summoned a strong gust that threw Spurious to the ground.
"Now dear brother, had I wished to harm you, you would already be dead. I have nothing to gain in your destruction."
"Then why are you here?"
"To offer a warning. Our sister is coming."
"Sister? You can't mean..." Spurious replied with worried eyes.
"Her arrival is imminent, dear brother. Be prepared. I will seek you out when she breaches the portal, tomorrow at the midday hour." Invictus gracefully floated away, leaving a wide-eyed Spurious in shock as the other Titans approached.
"We can't let him get away!" Robin yelled, "after him."
"Hold," Spurious said barring Robin's path. "We have much bigger things to worry about."
***
The Titans regrouped back at the tower, once again with Spurious being the storyteller. "My mother," he said, "gave birth the three children. The first was my brother, Invictus. The second was I, Melchiah. The third was our sister, Lisseth. But Lisseth was born 'normal' not in the emaciated, fragile state the rest of us were. Furthermore, when she underwent the Rebirth, the demons fled from her. My people took this as a sign, made her a deity." Spurious sighed deeply. "She became the destroyer of my world, Malach-Ra. And if my brother is to be believed, she is on her way here."
"Okay, if you and your brother are on the same side, as in keeping your sister away from the buffet table, then why you so hostile?" Cyborg asked.
"We had a rather bad parting. After the Rebirth, he claimed to have received a vision from our Ancestor, for which he was named. He left our home and became a priest. When my uncle usurped the throne, I called on him to help, which he refused. But that's not what's important right now."
"No, its not. We need to know exactly what we're up against here," Robin replied.
"A near omnipotent being with a limitless supply of undead warriors," Spurious said.
"I like the odds," Robin replied. "We need a strategy."
"Maybe we can call in some reinforcements. Like the Justice League or something," Beast Boy suggested.
"Can't," Robin answered, "they're off-world right now."
"I know one way," Spurious said. "Do you have anything that I could use as a forge?"
"The basement furnace," Cyborg answered.
"Good. I'll be down there."
"Geez," Beast Boy said, "He's got the mysterious loner gig down almost as good as you."
The rest of the day went by uneventfully. Beast Boy and Cyborg played video games, with Beast Boy often on the losing end. Robin prepared himself through meditation and training, while Starfire kept herself amused by watching Beast Boy and Cyborg. After hours of waiting, Raven grew worried and made her way to the basement. The opened the door to find it transformed into a makeshift forge. Near the furnace itself, Spurious hammered a long, thin piece of metal with all his strength. The clash of the hammer on metal was deafening. Finally, Spurious noticed his wife, put down the hammer, took off his goggles, and approached.
"Is that what you're going to use to defeat your sister?" she asked.
"I brought a store of Midrashim Steel for such an occasion. I forged this in the tradition of the great kings of Midrashim. Forged in a fire fueled by my own flesh, cooled in my own blood, and fed by my desire and force of will. I pry it will be enough."
"That's pretty elaborate," Raven said examining the sword.
"It has to be, you know how hard it is to kill a Midrashi. Yet Malach-Ra did it with little effort..."
"Don't be like that. You need to be strong," Raven said.
"I know, but she wiped out my whole world, Raven. How much good can we do?"
Raven kissed him, and then slowly pulled away. "You need to figure that out for yourself." She walked up the stairs, and shut the door. She walked upstairs and to her room, were she picked up a book and started reading.
"Good words of wisdom, Raven, but what if he's right? I was with the Midrashi for a short time, but even I could see what powerful warriors they were. Physical damage meant nothing to them; any body part could be regenerated, and their discipline was flawless. If an entire race couldn't beat this thing, can we?"
She sighed, and resumed her reading, but for some reason, she couldn't calm her nerves. She got up, and walked to the kitchen. Beast Boy and Cyborg were still engaged in their video games, with Starfire cheering on both.
"How can they stay so calm in the face of such a crisis?" she thought. She prepared her tea, and returned to her room. She sat on her bed with her book, and tried to relax, but still to no avail. Just then, she felt a strong, warm pair of arms wrap tightly around her body. She sighed heavily, and melted into his arms.
"If this is our last night together, I want to spend it with you," Spurious said kissing Raven on her neck. She smiled.
"I'm sure this won't be. We'll find a way."
"This optimism is so unlike you," he said.
"I've never faced an Apocalypse before. I guess I have to stay optimistic, otherwise... " Raven replied. "I don't want to talk anymore. Just hold me..."
......................To be continued!