Jesus

...Funny. Only just now do I realize that the shade isn't ideal for reading. I scoot over slightly, bringing my book into the slivers of light that pierce the treetop.

And seconds later, my book is obscured by shadow again.

"Uh..."

A young girl standing in front of me, her hands full of pamphlets, casts a nervous glance over to a middle aged man with a comb-over. I raise an eyebrow and speak up.

"Uh, can I help you?"

"H-Have you found Jesus?"

The very first thing that comes to mind is a cartoon Beast Boy once showed me of Christ rising up from between someone's couch cushions and the caption "Gary Finds Jesus" written under it.

"Excuse me?"

But I don't think it would be approriate to mention that.

"G-God has a...a very special plan for you, but...uh...you need to let Jesus into your heart."

A chilling sensation washes over me. There is something very wrong with this girl.

She tries, in vain, to hand me a pamphlet.

"No, thanks." I say, trying to wave it away as politely as I can.

The poor girl tenses up. I guess she's never been trained on what to do if someone deviates from the script.

"But...um...if you don't accept Jesus Christ, you'll go to Hell."

Poor girl. If only...

"I'll take my chances." I mutter, secretly hoping she doesn't hear.

Not sure what to do now, she bites her lip and makes her retreat, and the slivers of light freely fall back onto my book.

"You scaring off Girl Scouts, now?"

"Scaring off cultists, Cyborg."

I look as his apron.

"'Liscense to Grill'? Point out one person here old enough to get that reference."

"Burgers are almost done. You can come join us if you're done scaring little girls."

"Sure. Just let me finish this chapter and retrieve my broomstick. Remind me to check the gingerbread house for stray children before we go home."

"Sure thing, Rae."

He laughs at that. Now if only other people would just get enough common sense to do the same...

People can be very...taxing. Azarath may not have been a culturally diverse place, but we never so eagerly embraced ignorance and intolerance. My mother, who had come from both a strongly religious household and town, tried her best to prepare me for the persecution I would suffer by being different. She warned me that while the city was by no means a sanctuary, that I should never venture into Small Town America. She was so insistent about that.

Mother, people are people. Whether it's in the big city or small country, people will always be people.

You think someone who's an established super heroine wouldn't be so subject to such blatant bigotry. Just last week, it happened for the umpteenth time this year. Being able to teleport, I was the one that went into the burning building. Almost everyone I rescued was very grateful, but there was one woman who was less than grateful to be rescued by a "devil child", as she put it. Her children were sane enough. They told her I was a Titan and I was going to rescue them, but she would have none of that. She called me a "little witch", "devil child"...and quite a number of other things that don't deserve remembering. She said I would steal their souls and they would be in Heaven soon if they wouldn't give in to my "tempations".

I still saved her. She said I corrupted her children's souls with my dark, evil powers. And if I recall right, she unsuccessfully tried to sue us.

As much as it confounds the logical mind, this isn't limited to the devotely religious. Or at least I'm assuming everyone who whispers "witch" and "goth" and points in my direction isn't a regular church goer. It's nothing more than annoying, so...I try not to let let it get to me...but still...

My light's obscured again, but this time by a much larger shadow.

The very moment I look up, I'm greeted by the middle aged man with the comb-over, smiling a very artificial smile.

There is something very, very wrong with that smile.

"I hear someone won't accept Jesus!" he says in a pleasantly hollow tone, "Don't you want to go to Heaven, miss?"

"I'm fine here on orbis terrarum, thank you." I drone, hoping a combination of apathy and Latin will drive him away.

"Oh, nonsense!" he cheerfully says, his smile unwavering, "The only way to be happy is through God!"

Thank God Cyborg showed up when he did. Azar help me, I have limits to what I can tolerate.

"Something going on here, Rae?"

"Cyborg!" he says as if he greeting an old friend, "My daughter was just about come to you!"

"She was? Wait, is she that girl that tried to give Raven that pamphlet?"

"Yes! You do so much to protect this city, but are you soldiers in God's army?"

"Wha...look, sorry, man, but we don't-"

"God needs strong soldiers like you in his army! And say, has your alien friend heard the word of Christ?"

"We try to respect everyone's beliefs. Sorry, but-"

The man's hollow smile doesn't flinch at all.

"But if you're not fighting for God, you're not truly fighting for the right thing."

I stand up and gently tap Cyborg on the shoulder.

Just as his hand begins to clench.

"Those burgers are going to be very well done in a minute." I mutter.

"Jesus can save you, too!" he says before we even have a chance to turn around, "It doesn't matter if your mother does drugs or you were molested!"

"YO!"

Cyborg throws off his stereotypical chef's hat and steps up toe-to-toe with the evangelist.

"Where do you get off saying that sort of trash!"

"Oh, come now!" the evangelist says, that damned smile not giving in a bit, "Look at her! Her kind never come from stable families, so they give themselves to Satan. But don't worry, Raven! God has a pl-"

Cyborg steps in the way as he tries to look at me.

"I suggest you leave my friend alone."

Suddenly, as he catches sight of the other Titans getting up from the picnic table, the evangelist seems to have a crisis of faith. His smile fades and he steps back. He reaches into his pocket and splashes something on me.

"WITCH!" he screams as he runs off, "YOU'RE ALL DEVIL WORSHIPPERS!"

Everyone rushes to my aid.

"Whoa, Raven! You okay!"

"Are you unharmed!"

"Dude! What was that about!"

"Raven! Are you okay!"

I look at the wet spot on my arm.

"I think it's...holy water. The tingling sensation means it's working."

I pause.

"I'm kidding. About the tingling part, at least."

"Please," says Starfire, "Why did that man throw sanctified liquids upon you?"

"Granny Cy said there's three things you don't discuss around the dinner table," says Cyborg as he retrieves his hat, "Religion, politics, and nutjobs who throw holy water on you. C'mon, y'all. Let's eat."

Robin take a brief glance back.

"I've seen that guy before..."

"He's that one lowlife televangelist." says Beast Boy, "Y'know, the one that held a rally to blamed gays and Democrats for terrorism and hurricanes?"

"No...I remember him back in Gotham. He was running this scam where he claimed he had springwater that could cure cancer."

"Guess I'll be in good health, then." I mutter.

I look back for a moment. And for the umpteenth time, I just sigh, quietly curse, and shrug it off.

But this is one of the rare times that I can't shrug it off that easily. I can't help but think about that girl. I know it's not my place, but...

I let her go. I let her go with a madman who preaches madness, and she could very well be scarred for life by him and his words. I know I shouldn't push my beliefs onto others, but...

Did I really do the right thing?