The Cursed One
Chapter 9 :
The Ninth Circle of Hell
XXXXXX
I stood on a small hill by a single tree, Jump City looking like a distant mirage against the rising sun. Billy and Mammoth lay in a quiet pile beside the tree and the grave I dug for 72 all those years ago.
Digging Mammoth and Billy's grave was easier with the claw. It tried to resist of course but I had spent a lot of that time last night with Raven, meditating. It would have no power over me, despite the new spikes I felt piercing out from the back of my shoulder.
The sun was hanging lazily over Jump City when I finished. One grave had become three before the tree. I wasn't sure if this was right, but I couldn't go searching the globe for their parents, hell I didn't even know if Billy or Mammoth had parents. No one really talked about their families. One time I heard Gizmo crying for his mom in his sleep back at the university, but of course I could never ask him about that, not that I was ever inclined to. That training I did back then with 72 was filled with kids who cried for their moms and dads, brothers and sisters, they were the first ones to go. If you didn't learn to detach yourself from your family, your friends, everything from your past, you wouldn't last long.
I looked down at the graves and wondered for the first time if all those other kids I had trained with died when they failed. Did that woman do to them what she had done to 72? I never asked her, only crushed her heart. It was the first time I had ever killed anyone.
I felt the claw twitch, I couldn't stay here anymore. With my normal hand I touched See-More's spare eye, still attached to my belt. It had taken much longer than planned to do this. For all I knew Red-X and Fixit had long since finished their task and were waiting on me. Plus, the sooner I returned, the sooner See-More could see again, that was all the motivation I really needed. So, turning away from the graves, I pulled my cloak over me and disappeared into the cold darkness.
I reappeared in front of a door. See-More's door to be exact. I had to control my good hand from immediately reaching for the spare eye. The twitching of the claw made for a good distraction as I used my hand to restrain it. I had to get myself under control, but honestly, I could hardly contain my excitement.
Yes Gizmo, Billy, and Mammoth were dead. Yes those weird shadowy things were bound to turn up again and would be haunting my nightmares for months to come. But now, in this moment, there was finally a positive, finally something to look forward to.
See-More. My best friend See-More. He would finally be able to see again. After what happened…after dragging him into all of this. I never fully forgave myself. See-More didn't die, but he damn near came close to it. And the life he had been living since then. Bound to a wheelchair, having to take daily injections of that Zinothium stuff. Finally he could become closer to his old self again. Finally, I could start making up for my mistakes.
I opened the door, spirits raised; hopes high, and almost immediately the feelings were dashed and replaced with shock and confusion.
See-More's room was in shambles. Most of Red-X's nice art work and expensive looking china had been all but smashed, the large bed was splintered against the floor like someone had been smashed against it, the windows were shattered, the floors were covered in long gashes.
See-More sat motionless in a chair with Red-X standing beside him. Kid Flash was on his knees, and a weird spider-like robot with a large red eye was peeking over See-More's shoulder. I caught all of this in the span of several seconds before I felt something cold and tight clasp around my neck and I was pulled into the room, the door slamming shut behind me.
I was on my knees, much like Kid Flash was. One of the many arms from this robot spider was tightened around my neck. I could hardly breathe. The smell of apples from the trees outside pervaded the room. I felt the demon claw reach up; I knew it would tear through this robotic spider's limbs if it had to.
"I would not…suggest that…action," came a voice, cold, monotone, familiar. The arm retracted back to the body, but I still felt something tight and cold around my neck. I reached up with my normal hand and felt.
My entire body grew ice cold. I didn't think I could rise off my knees if I wanted to.
"So good of you to… finally join us… Kyd Wykkyd," came the voice of Fixit, but it didn't sound exactly like Fixit, it was like his voice, but submerged underwater. "I see your… expedition proved… fortuitous."
Another of its many arms extended, and in its tri-pronged grasp I saw See-More's replacement eye. I reached for my belt, it was gone. I moved to stand, the collar around my neck tightened ever so slightly.
"You of all humans… should be familiar… with that collar," Fixit said, the spider thing crawled ever so slightly out from behind See-More. I could see now that my friend had several gash marks on his body and several bruises on his face. "Make any more moves… that I do not approve of …and you shall regret it… It certainly is a charming little device… is it not? You humans can be devious…with the right push."
This thing did not sound like Fixit, and not just because of the slight voice alteration. I looked to Red-X, there was no collar on his neck and even in his mask I could tell he was avoiding looking at me.
"I would prefer waiting… for the last before… introductions… but I grow impatient… you humans…like to take your time despite… your short life spans."
The spider robot thing crawled until it was standing over See-More, its claws digging into See-More's shoulders; it appeared that he was completely out. I clenched a fist, the collar tightened. I unclenched it, the collar relaxed.
"I am Prince Kai'to'i'sjusan'do… of Planet Yusk… I welcome and congratulate you all…for being among the first… that will be joining my… services. With your combined…powers we shall weaken… planet Earth for her…final destruction. The majority of you… will be turned in as prisoners of … war; the others will be… disposed of… Any questions?"
"Yeah uh, since Kyd's here and Speedy is all nice and quiet think it's cool if I go now?" Red-X asked, already making an attempt to inch towards the door. The spider's giant red eye turned to face him almost immediately.
"You have served me well… thus far Red-X though… I am afraid you are destined… to be one of said… prisoners of war."
"Whoa whoa whoa hold on, you said if I get you Speedy, Kyd, See-More, and all them I could go!"
I was glaring at Red-X for all I was worth. I never wanted to hurt someone more right now. I resisted acting; it was almost like the collar was tightening from my very thoughts.
"Yes well …I believe I performed… one of the more popular form… of Earthian customs known… as lying."
"I see, well, good to know."
Red-X made to do something, I wasn't sure what, teleport perhaps, but the spider was faster. Its robot limbs slammed into the thief, one for each appendage and one for his neck. Red-X's body slammed into the wall with a cracking slam. The masked thief let out a howl of pain and I instantly remembered the injuries. His bruised body, cracked ribs, fractured arm. It all just got a lot worse.
"There now… collars for everyone. Now… we shall wait here patiently… for Jinx and then ….we shall be on our way."
I was going to act then. Maybe since this Prince was distracted I could pull it off. Maybe I would be fast enough; maybe the collar couldn't kill me immediately. But before I could even move someone tried first. Someone much faster.
Kid Flash writhed on the ground, screaming and twisting and twitching. He screamed and screamed as bright red electricity danced all across his body.
"Your powers… while useful… are not unique," the spider thing said, it did not even turn its big red eye away from Red-X. "I am afraid… your only usefulness now… will be to serve… as an example."
I could only watch as Kid Flash screamed and contorted. I could only watch as the demonic claw twitched with excitement. I could only watch as my collar…
As my collar…
It wasn't tightening. My claw twitched, it clenched, it moved, and the collar didn't react.
Multiple things happened at once. The door slammed open behind me. I heard Jinx cry out Kid Flash's name. The Prince let out some sort of monotone greeting; one of its appendages left Red-X and went for her. My claw reached for my neck.
I stood up as the claw easily tore the offending collar free from my neck. It just as easily battered away the extending arm after I used my cloak to intercept its path to Jinx. Its other arms were already moving to grab me, but I was gone into the darkness again. I reappeared inside its already extended limbs. I saw its giant red eye widen. I saw my reflection in that eye. The demon in that eye. And then my claw dug into that eye and ripped out its oily circuits, then there was no eye.
The spidery robot fell into a heap of scrap on the floor. I felt the claws desire. It didn't want to stop; it wanted to continue to tear, to smash, to rip it until it was no more. I wanted to too, but I fought it back, I had to physically grip my demonic arm, though it still managed to pull me to my knees, soaking them in the machines oil. The skin on my once human hand was now a deep shade of purple. I wanted to scream.
Since I couldn't I remained kneeling there for a while, watching the oil pool out wider from the spider machine. After I had majority of my control back I looked over at Red-X. He was still slumped against the wall, apparently passed out from the pain. I looked at See-More; he was still in his chair, though very much slumped back in it and unmoving. Then I looked at Jinx. She had collapsed to her knees beside Kid Flash. Kid Flash wasn't screaming or moving anymore. His skin was a revolting blackish color, it still sizzled. The apple smell in the room was overtaken by burnt flesh.
I finally tried to walk over to Jinx, still trying to keep the demon claw in check.
"Go," I heard her say, barely, it was hardly louder than a whisper.
I tried to walk closer still. We had to be there for each other. Even the Titan being there when I had discovered…the guys, had been more help than I had first thought. Who knows what I would have done if someone wasn't-
"I SAID GO KYD WYKKYD!" Jinx suddenly shouted, turning towards me, her eyes glowing pink, her eyes crying.
Pink energy surged throughout the room then. Pieces of the ceiling crumbled, books fell like waterfalls from their shelves, several legs from See-More's chair gave way, I felt my own cape try to twist around my legs.
And I stood frozen. Looking at my former leader who looked back at me like she wished I was dead. Like it was me lying there before her instead of…
I understood then.
I moved to gather Red-X and See-More. All the while I tried to concentrate on thoughts of her. Like she had instructed.
The Titan, Raven, stayed with me because she understood me. She was half-demon, I was…some percentage of demon. It was only natural. It didn't matter that we were enemies we were kin by blood. Jinx…Jinx did not have kin, not as far as I knew. She never really belonged in that group they all made together; I never remembered her looking truly happy with us unless we were pulling off some heist, but even then…
As I placed See-More and Red-X side by side I thought of that time See-More and I caught Jinx on that date with Kid Flash. It was the first time I saw her smile about something other than stealing, and it was the most genuine smile I had ever seen.
At the last minute I remembered See-More's spare eye. As I walked over to pick it up I stole one last glance at Jinx I saw that she was back to kneeling over Kid Flash. She had her hands on one of his hands. A single red rose lay in between her hands clenched tightly over his.
I felt my own gut clench. I couldn't stay any longer. I grabbed the spare eye and hurried over to where See-More and Red-X lay, forcing my thoughts to go back to her. I really hoped this would actually work. A strong part of me still fought against this idea. But I literally had no one else to turn to. And things were getting desperate. Murdering black smoke, robotic spiders that called themselves Princes. These things were more than a few criminals could handle, and for whatever reason it was these few criminals that these things were targeting.
Really there was no other choice. But still I really wished there was another. I fell on one knee as I pulled my cape over myself and my comrades. Constantly thinking of her. Honing in on her emotions. The dark hair, grey skin, blue cloak. The Teen Titan Raven.
The next moment the three of us came crashing down on something hard and wooden.
I winced at the pain in my sides and back. I guess I still had a lot to learn. I scanned our new location as my vision cleared. It was a room, an apartment actually. Average looking furniture, nothing special. Was this where Raven lived? Or did I completely mess up and wind up in someone else's-
That's when my eyes fell on Raven, standing not but a few feet away. Her arm was outstretched, her hand coated in her dark power. The Titan leader, Robin, was pinned against a wall by similar looking dark energy. She looked down at me, understandable surprise in the face that was mostly disguised by a hood. She then looked at something across the room. I looked as well and saw yet another Titan, the green one, taking cover behind a couch. Though he quickly jumped over it to approach us.
"What the heck is going on here!?" He hollered. I tried to stand but could only lift myself on my elbows, my body in complete protest. It was more than just pain from smashing into a coffee table, I felt drained, like I might pass out at any moment.
"Dude…" the green one said, looking down at me. I tried sliding the claw a little out of view. Not that it mattered. I was looking less and less human, and who knows what this last jump changed, "what the heck are you?"
Pretty damn offended, what are you?
"It's Kyd Wykkyd, and…a few friends of his." Raven observed. I observed that she was still holding her leader hostage.
"Friends of yours?" Said leader asked, giving Raven a dangerous look. I saw now that one of his arms was held out at a weird angle, his hand was clenching a weapon, though Raven's magic seemed to keep him from moving anything.
"I didn't bring them here, Robin," Raven insisted, "but don't attack them." She added casting the green Titan a look. His green eyes looked at me with a weird mixture of distrust and confusion.
"Then why are they here Raven?" the Titan's leader asked, though it sounded more like an order.
"I don't know," Raven said, looking from me to her leader, "but if you swear not to attack, not to move, I can find out."
I've seen him give Jinx and the rest of us less harsh looks than the one the leader was giving Raven now. For some reason it made me want to punch his stupid face. Having at least enough energy to stand would be nice too though. Raven stared straight back though and his face eventually softened after he let out a sigh.
"Okay Raven."
She nodded before immediately releasing him. I tensed when the Titan's leader landed back on his feet but he seemed to do nothing more than return his weapon to his belt…that was around blue jeans…weird.
He looked really weird in regular clothes. Although I guess I couldn't say I pulled off that look all that well either. The Titan's leader offered up an apology before turning his attention fully on me. The green Titan still looked pretty freaked out, but was looking at me as well. When Raven also turned her big purple eyes towards me I couldn't help but feel like there was some big spotlight centered on me. My stomach tightened and the claw twitched.
"Can you move?" Raven asked me. She looked and acted just the same as during our midnight meditations. It made me wonder if she even remembered what happened last night, if she even cared. Reluctantly I shook my head.
"I'm going to have to approach him to speak telepathically," she said to two very unhappy looking Titans.
"Say what!?" The green one exclaimed.
"Raven, that is not a good idea," the leader informed, "this isn't just…Kyd Wykkyd were dealing with here, it's Red-X and…is that See-More?"
I followed the leader's confused looks. I could have imagined another H.I.V.E member in street clothes would throw even him off a little bit, but it was more than just that. I didn't notice that the bandages around See-More's face had been removed sometime during the transportation. I also didn't notice that where once were burned out eye sockets was now filled with a strange mechanical contraption that wrapped around the entirety of his head, a familiar looking contraption, a contraption that had his back up eye already inserted…wait.
I looked down at my own belt. It was gone.
When did that happen?
I looked over to Red-X. His masked face was looking at me and slowly he gave me a thumbs up. I looked back at See-More his new eye was open, it was red, and he was grinning from ear to ear.
His lenses changed rapidly even though his hand wasn't anywhere near the dial. There wasn't enough time to think about that though, See-More found what he needed in less than a second. His new lens was now completely black, expect for a small white circle that I could only assume was his pupil. But as I continued to watch, the strange weakness still keeping me from moving, that white circle rose up from the lens and became a three dimensional circle. As I stared at it it began to get a lot brighter.
"Get down!" I heard the Titan's leader shout.
I felt a strange sensation then. Probably the strangest feeling I had ever felt. It was a…bristling…like a lot of small twitches coming from my shoulder. But even stranger than that was this feeling of dread that came along with it, rising up from the pit of my stomach.
The white orb got too bright to look at. Its brightness filled up the room. I closed my eyes. And all at once the weakness vanished; it took me so off-guard I couldn't react, not before my body becomes overtaken by the light. Something else did react in time though.
My entire arm moved without me willing it too. A strong grip took hold on the edge of my cloak as the claw pulled it over the both of us. I gripped it in the cold darkness, tried to make it let go.
I lost my grip when I hit something hard and solid. I rolled a few times, the cloak becoming entangled around me. I felt the claw wrestling in between my body and the cloak; I rolled to my side to keep it pressed in the ground, using my other hand to keep balance. I stayed like that until the claw stopped struggling; I judged by the soreness in its muscles that it had worn itself out.
I quickly rolled off of it and gripped the claw by its purple and black wrist. I wanted to cut it off, the entire thing, but I knew it had spread too far now. I swallowed and kept the growing panic down as I stood, still keeping the claw held firmly at my side, and surveyed my new surroundings.
The panic was erased, almost completely forgotten.
It was a rooftop, the rooftop. The place where I lost my best friend, and the start of losing myself. Why was I here? Did the claw take me here on purpose?
Whatever the reason I didn't have time to dwell on it. See-More was still back there, alone against three Titans and Red-X. Bastard. After everything he was still low enough to sell See-More and me out like that. We could have died, just like Kid Flash did, and he didn't even care.
I tightened my grip on the claw as it tried to wrestle free with new found strength.
No I can't think like that. I need to relax. If I want to help See-More I have got to be calm.
I sat down and crossed my legs like Raven had shown me. I closed my eyes and held the still struggling claw in my lap.
Clear mind. No worries, no struggles, it is just me, alone, on a cliff in the mountains. I am alone and there is not a worry in the world. I am alone and there is not a worry in the world.
I am alone and there is not a worry in the world.
I let out a slow, even sigh. My body was still. I slowly stood up and used the claw to grip the cloak, now under my control, and pulled it over me.
I reappeared in a small, unassuming kitchen. It was the same kitchen I noticed for a second or two while on the floor in the apartment. I heard a voice talking from the living room, though it was older sounding and very unfamiliar to me. As quietly as I could manage, with the cloak still being gripped by the claw, I made my way to the opening between the kitchen and the living room. Peeking in I saw a very, very unusual sight.
There was an adult, in a colorful green and black get-up, a hero, or maybe a villain. It was hard to tell as he had both the Titans and my comrades suspended in the air by some sort of green magic that seemed to originate from a ring he had pointed towards them. Stranger still was what he was saying, or more accurately, lecturing.
"And why am I not surprised to find Batman's little sidekick running around against Justice League orders with his team and…more Titan recruits? Robin we don't have the extra time to spare to babysit your team anymore."
"I'm trying to save my fellow teammate, not that I expect the Justice League to understand!" Robin spat back, appearing to not even be able to move his head in the green force field thing the man had around him.
"This situation has long since been out of the Titan's hands," the man said sternly, "J'onn sent me to take you and your friends back with me to the base, your other Titans are being rounded up as well, are these two new members? They will have to come as well."
"Aw man, the base way up there in space? I dunno if I'm ready to go back up there…" the green titan mumbled.
"What situation?" Robin asked. The man looked puzzled at Robin's question. From my vantage point I could see an uncomfortable look immediately come over Beastboy. Raven had her hood up but even then I could…feel her uneasiness…in my shoulder.
"You mean Batman never told you before he…"
"What? Before he what? Alfred came and told me some of Gotham's lowlifes were disappearing but that's it!"
The man in the green and black suit had his eyes fixated on the ground. Something…I looked back to see the black spines that had newly sprouted from my shoulder were…twitching…dancing , as I felt panic…the Titan leaders panic, begin to rise inside him.
"Hal, tell me, what happened?" Robin asked, pulling my attention momentarily from the grotesque quills.
The suited hero, Hal, looked up at Robin and it was like that previous stern demur was just a mask that had now fallen away, revealing guilt and sadness.
"I didn't think I'd be the one to tell you this Dick, really, if it was it wouldn't have been like this."
As he said those words he lowered his arm and right away the green magic stuff left, fleeing back into his ring. I watched See-More and Red-X land, though the latter flinched and gripped his side and See-More had to support him up to keep him from falling over. However the two made no further movements, even though Hal still had his eyes fully on Robin. In fact no one was moving, everyone watching Hal and Robin.
"It wasn't just villains from Gotham that started disappearing, Metropolis, New York, Tokyo, even from different planet's, jail cells across the galaxy are reporting missing occupants, just vanishing into thin air. But Dick, it isn't just bad guys; our own people are turning up missing as well…including Batman."
"What!?" Robin exclaimed. Hal turned away his gaze again as I felt the spines on my shoulder dance ever fiercer.
"I wish that was the worst of it…but a few Titans are missing as well…but even worse than that…"
"Jericho isn't dead!" A voice suddenly shouted the green one's voice to be exact. All eyes on the room switched to him.
I felt an overwhelming sense of embarrassment sink into those quill things in my shoulder as the green Titan visibly squirmed, I really wanted to just tear them off but now definitely wasn't the time. I glanced back at See-More and Red-X for a moment, they still hadn't moved. Red-X was still leaning on See-More for support, still gripping his side, it was then that I noticed his belt that held all of his Zinothium was missing.
"I told them Jericho was dead because he asked me to…" The green Titan said in a quiet voice almost too soft for me to hear from across the room. "He never died though he just…took over the body of that dragon dude…Malchior and left…"
"So you knowingly kept this from us?" Hal said, folding his arms and regaining the stern demeanor, "Beastboy this is serious, we all need to be accounted for. Whatever is happening, it isn't just affecting the Justice League…"
The green suited hero appeared that he wanted to say more but fell silent, his eyes falling from Beastboy to the ground.
"Jericho isn't the only one, is he?" Robin said, with a tone of finality. Beastboy looked a Robin, shock and horror decorating his green face. Raven kept her head down and covered.
"…You're newcomer, the pink girl, she contacted Cyborg, and he contacted us. I am so very sorry to be the one to tell you this but…Kid Flash is dead."
For the first time since I had arrived my feelings matched the ones I felt in those spines on my shoulder. A twisted knot began to form in my stomach as all the Titan's expressions whitened.
"Whoa…are you for real?" See-More said, and even though I couldn't see his face from where I was I could hear the horror in his voice.
"Cyborg informed us that your girl and Kid Flash were attacked by some mechanical creature calling himself a prince. Kid Flash fought valiantly to protect her and even destroyed this prince but it cost him his life…"
"I don't…" Robin said, or began to say, but it was surprisingly Raven that stepped up and spoke over him.
"The criminals Mammoth, Billy Numerous, and Gizmo are dead as well," she said in that monotone voice, "I found their comrade, Kyd Wykkyd, at their base shortly before we were attacked by creatures seemingly made of smoke…"
"No way…" Beastboy said, his green face still colored white. Hal was silent for a moment before saying:
"And you're thinking these deaths are…"
"Related? Yes."
"But how-"
"Shit!" Red-X said, I quickly looked over to see both him and See-More on the ground. I had to fight the desire to run to them as the spines danced more and more. See-More was on his knees, his hands on the floor, I saw him look up at Raven.
"No, you're lying!" he shouted at her. Raven looked back down at him with an unchanged expression.
"I'm not," she said. I could feel sadness suddenly burn away to anger in those damned quills. The claw dug into the wall, but I didn't have time to deal with it. See-More was raising a hand to his dial.
"You did this…" he said, rising slightly from the floor, his voice cracking, "you killed them, it's your fault! YOU KILLED THEM!"
I no longer cared about being caught. I made to run out, Robin and Raven looked ready to move too, but Hal was faster than all of us.
The hero in green swung his arm out and See-More was pushed against the wall with the force of the green magic that consumed his body, keeping him from moving.
"Calm down son!" Hal said, keeping his fist pointed towards See-More.
"Damnit… damnit…" was all See-More said before breaking into sobs. It took every ounce of my willpower to stay where I was; the claws were leaving permanent marks in the walls. The hero looked between See-more and Red-X who was still on the ground where he fell, averting everyone's looks.
"These two aren't with the Titans?" Hal asked.
"No, they're not," Raven said.
"Well we've wasted enough time here; we need to head back to base now, we can discuss what's come up here with everyone when we all have gathered."
"Wait, we can't just leave!" Robin stepped up then, "if Titans are dying I have to stay here, I can't just abandon them."
"Like I already said you're other Titans are being rounded up. Cyborg, that pink girl…Jinx I think her name is, Titans East, many of them is already back at base."
"And what about us non-Titans?" Red-X questioned, standing up with great difficulty, "Do we get a nice cozy jail cell to twiddle our thumbs in? Cause if I get a choice I'd prefer my twiddling down here."
"If Raven's theory is correct this enemy is targeting villain and hero alike," Hal said, before smirking slightly, "sorry buddy but you and your friend here are going to have to leave your comfort zone when it comes to jail cells."
"A real shame." Red-X said, and I swore that for a fraction of a second his masked face turned slightly in my direction.
"Well then, let's head out then, Robin?"
The Titan's leader stirred as if hearing the hero say his name awoke him from some dream.
"Yes, of course, but if it's alright Hal, I need to ask you a few questions first."
The green suited hero raised a brow.
Do it now.
A commanding and familiar voice echoed in my head. Immediately I looked away from Robin and Hal discussing to Raven's dark eyes. I noticed the slightest indication of a nod. I didn't waste any time.
In a moment I was behind the green suited hero. But it was beyond obvious he was prepared for this as he spun around and I felt my entire body incapable of moving as the green energy shot out from his ring and encased me. However fast and capable this hero was he was unprepared for one thing.
A single pellet burst against the hero's chest and he could only let out a meek grunt of surprise before a pinkish-purple smoke engulfed his head and he was on the ground, knocked out cold. Robin remained where he stood, arm stretched out, his face troubled.
"Dude…" Beastboy said, looked from the hero to Robin in disbelief. But I didn't pay attention to see if it would go anywhere from there.
I walked slowly over to where See-More knelt, ignoring the Titan's conversation. His head bowed and shoulders shaking, I felt a very unfamiliar feeling of an aching in my chest as I listened to his soft sobs. Red-X remained lying down not far away but I didn't pay him any mind as I knelt before my friend.
"Kyd?" he asked. I nodded.
He wiped his face before looking up at me but I could still see tears leaking from beneath his new red eye. I found myself transfixed by that eye as it stared into me, stared through me. I always felt like See-More could see a lot more than most people when he stared into your eyes and I had always made it a point in the past to never have direct eye contact with him. Of course all that had long been thrown out the window now.
"It's true then?" See-More asked in such a broken voice I had to suddenly fight my own damn tears, "Gizmo…Mammoth…Billy? They…they're…"
I couldn't hold eye contact with him anymore. Not if I wanted to keep fighting the feeling. So I looked down and my hand and my claw clenched in unison at my lap. I hated this. I hated this so damn much.
"Kyd…can you look at me man, please?" Came See-More's surprising question. I looked up at him without having to mull it over.
That big red eye stared into mine in silence, the tears still there, but now there was more of a stillness in his face, in that eye.
"Who did this?" He asked me then.
"A prince." A voice, Raven's voice answered, breaking through the noise of conversation that had previously gone on behind me. As See-More's gaze turned mine did as well to see Raven and her teammates watching us from across the room.
"Raven," the Titan leader spoke, "I don't think-."
"What prince?" See-More asked. I looked back at him, the tears were gone and his eye stared intently on Raven.
"A prince of another planet," Raven answered in her monotone yet deadly serious voice, "If what I've seen is correct though there are multiple princes, working together. The Justice League has probably known this for awhile but I believe this is related with Blackfire's threat to eradicate Earth."
"We don't know that though Raven," the Titan's leader insisted, "besides Blackfire…died, she-."
"But dude," The green Titan, surprisingly, spoke up, "a lot of her people really supported her, maybe…killing her only made them more supportive…and what with Starfi-."
"Do not bring her into this!" the leader shot, even taking an aggressive step towards the green one, the latter taking a step back and looking quite shocked.
"Ooh do we get to see a little Titan on Titan action here? Now this is definitely worth the bruised ribs." Red-X said, managing to sit himself up on his elbows.
"You stay out of this!" the leader snapped, turning on Red-X now. Red-X laughing.
"Oh no please bird-boy, don't make me laugh, I don't think my poor ribs can take it!"
"Robin, do not let your emotions cloud your judgment," Raven said as her leader clenched his fists, "you were there, you know how adamant Starfire's people were against us."
"But not Starfire," the leader said staring at the ground then at Raven, "never Starfire."
"People are dying Robin, Titan's are dying," Raven seemed to pause and glance over at See-More and I before turning back to her leader, "our enemies as well, this isn't coincidence. When I used my powers on the creature that attacked Kyd Wykkyd and me I saw into it's mind, into it's memories. They are targeting Earth's hero's, her villains, they are weakening the planet for war but that isn't everything."
"Raven?" the leader said at Raven's sudden pause.
"We're targets Robin," Raven said simply, "You, me, Beastboy, Kyd Wykkyd, See-More, Red-X, Jinx, everyone who was on Tameran that day. We are priority targets that the prince's have been ordered to capture alive and the prize being…"
Raven really seemed to struggle with this final part, she even turned fully away from the Titan's keader before she could speak again. The leader looking more at a loss for words than I had ever seen a person. The green Titan, See-More, even Red-X had all fallen silent at Raven's words and were watching her with rapt attention for her to continue. And after a moment longer of silence she did continue, but as she spoke she never turned around.
"The prize for the prince who captures the most of us is the hand of the last princess of Tameran, Starfire."
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"It's this way, hurry." Val-Yor whispered dashing down the hall to their left and around a corner. Starfire clutched the robe tighter around her as she hurried after him, her one good eye glancing over her shoulder ever few seconds.
"Is it much further Val-Yor?" she asked as they stopped at yet another crossroad of hallways.
"No, the ship is just down this hall," Val-Yor said indicating the hallway to their right before turning to face her, "One of my men will be waiting for you there, are you sure you remember the coordinates?"
"Yes I believe so," Starfire said, thinking back, "I have only been there once but it is not far from Earth."
"Good, you just need to be close." Val-Yor said with a nod before making his way back the way they had come.
"Wait!" Starfire called in a hushed whisper, causing the silver alien to stop, "You are not coming with me?"
"No," he said, back still to her, "I can't make it that obvious that I helped you escape, the longer they are kept guessing the more time you have."
"Oh." Was all Starfire could think to say at first, and Val-Yor began to make his way out again before something else for her to say came to her.
"Thank you Val-Yor," she called out to him, "I suppose I have misjudged you for being completely without good, I thank you for proving me wrong!"
Starfire thought he did not hear her as he continued to hurriedly make his way to the end of the hall but not only did he stop when he reached the end but turned his head in her direction, though his face was far too much in the shadow's for her to be certain what his expression was.
"Goodbye, Starfire," he said before disappearing around the corner.
Starfire smiled slightly at the sound of her name before making her own way down the hall to her right.
Finally, there was a light building up inside her. A lightness to her steps, a warmth spreading all inside her. Her smile grew wider and wider as she moved faster down the hall.
Finally, there was hope.
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To Be Continued…
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