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Bravado
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Oww.
"Good morning, Raven. Or should I say, evening."
The soft voice was unfamiliar. My eyelids flittered but I didn't want to open my eyes. It was warm under the covers, and the darkness was comforting.
"Ra-ven, it won't do to sleep in when we've got plans tonight," the voice crooned on.
It wasn't Beastboy's voice. It wasn't Cyborg's voice. It wasn't Robin's voice - Robin. Robin was in trouble. That wretched teenager had done something to him, and had poisoned me. I wrenched my eyes open only to see the white face of Brother Blood looming above my own, his scarlet cloak over me. I made a move as if to shove him away, but he leapt back with a laugh.
I threw off his cloak viciously, revealing that I had been lying on a large slab of rock not unlike an altar. Hundreds of people crouched reverently around this altar to the devil in growing semicircles. Ignoring them all, I shouted in a ringing voice, "What have you done to my friends, you fiend?!"
He laughed again. "Worried about your friends? I'd be worrying about yourself. I have no interest in your friends."`
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
My energy grew in my clenched fists then zapped off in random directions.
"What – ?" Astounded, I reached up to my forehead and felt nothing.
"Looking for this?"
Held between Blood's forefinger and thumb, my chakra gleamed stunningly red against Blood's pale, mocking face. Before my horrified eyes, before I could even blink, he had swallowed it.
All the blood drained from my face, and I would not have been surprised if I was as parchment white as Blood. I sank back onto the stone.
"How did you take it off?" I whispered hoarsely. "Azar herself…"
"Azar, smazar," he scoffed. "What is she against the messenger of the mighty Trigon?"
He gestured up with his hands, and I raised my eyes to see a towering stone relief carving of my father on the wall behind the altar. The artist had captured Trigon's cruel sneer quite well, and I distractedly wondered if he had actually posed for the artist. So, I was in the infamous Church of Blood itself.
"What do you want with me?" I spat. "You do not venture to kill me, the daughter of your master; that would be against your own doctrine."
For some unknown reason, he seemed tickled by this idea. "No, no, Raven. Not to kill you."
He started pacing around the rock where I sat, powerless, surrounded by many enemies.
"There was a prophecy, Raven. No, not that one. Not the one where Trigon comes himself to earth. He knew there were other forces than himself, forces of Heaven and of Earth that might interfere with his plan. He insured that he would have more than one way to return to his rightful rule. There was another prophecy, given long before your time."
Turning suddenly on his heel, he grasped my face by the chin, forcing me to stare into his dark, fanatical eyes.
"You are to wed me, Daughter of Trigon. The Gem and the Mouth, together, in a matrimony that will cleanse the earth."
"NO!"
I leapt back, abhorring that crazed face, that fiery touch that I could feel even through his gloves. With all the hatred that I could muster, I glared at Blood, warning him not to come any closer.
"Don't touch me," I growled. "Don't you dare touch me, or I'll have you crawling on your knees, begging for mercy."
"Ah, will you?" Blood drawled casually. "I really don't think you're in a position to threaten me, Daughter though you are. My devoted followers are gathered around you. I have your chakra. I have your dear Beastboy's powerssss," he turned briefly into a snake to demonstrate, his voice dragging on into the snake's hiss, "and I even took a little blood from that beautiful redhead friend of yours." He smacked his lips satisfactorily. "Starfire, was it?"
"You filthy, demented devil!"
Before I even realized what I was doing, my hand flew out and slapped Blood on the cheek. He turned blazing eyes towards me, but my blood was at a boil too. How dare he lay his hands on Starfire… I have no interest in your friends, he had said. What did that mean? Surely, surely he didn't mean that he'd done them in?
"You'll never have me, Blood. I'll never let you," I cried in a valiant effort to hide my fear. I was afraid. Afraid for my friends, afraid for myself. But I wasn't giving in without a fight. I clenched my fists, whispering, Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos over and over in my head. My power was my own, I told myself firmly. I could harness it, even without the chakra's aid.
For a moment, it seemed Blood would strike me back. His contorted face was terrible to look at; it was inhuman, beastly. Just when I braced myself to dodge a blow that seemed inevitable, Blood's face was wiped clean of all traces of anger. He smiled benignly, but it was a smile that did not reach his still blazing eyes.
"I don't know why you fight your destiny, Raven," he said smoothly, with just a trace of incredulity in it. "You and I are going to bring the world their savior."
He kneeled in front of me, caressing my cheek almost tenderly. With a slight smile, he stared into my eyes through the tangle of dirty blonde hair veiling his forehead.
"A child whose ultimate fate will be to lead during a thousand years of peace – "
"After slaying everyone except your followers," I scoffed. "Why do you mistakenly think I'd allow it?"
Blood frowned dangerously, but still had a small smile on his face. The effect was terrifying.
"One faith will unify this world," he said in a lilting, singsong voice that made me shiver. Utterly creepy was the only word to describe him. Wonder what Beastboy would say if he saw Brother Blood like this, he called me creepy...
I had to keep talking. As long as I kept talking I could keep Brother Blood at bay and away from my…body. It was a disturbing thought. I'd rather kill myself than have this maniac's child, who would be demon-possessed by his own grandfather. I knew I would rather have been killed by my mother than go through such things, and I certainly would not wish such a terrible fate on any child, even if the father of the child was Blood and the product of rape.
I hated his fingers on my cheek and wanted to rip his fingers off, one by one, seeing his blood drip down as he cried out in agony…but I had to repress such feelings. Not here, not now. Now was not the time to give in to my demonic nature.
"You rape me, I'll kill myself," I snarled. "And off goes your plan."
He was smiling, and I knew he didn't take my words seriously. "It means you'll be killing your child as well, dear Raven. And, well, you know only too well murder and suicide are both sins."
"Better I go than the whole world. God would understand, seeing as he also sacrificed himself before. I doubt he'd complain."
He was still smiling. "But what about your friends? Would you be willing to break their hearts for a mere suspicion? Would you be willing to break Beastboy's?"
As he softly pronounced the last word, I froze, petrified. How did he know? Blood's hands were off my cheek now, and he was pacing before me, back and forth, back and forth.
"Think about it," he whispered. "What if I acquire you, but you do not conceive? If you kill yourself, there is no turning back. What if you could shield the child from demonic influence? After all, he is only a quarter demon. After all, you overturned your prophesy. What's to say this is any different?"
Sitting beside me, he softly hissed in my ear, almost soothingly. "And ending one's life is not as simple as people make it out to be. Ending your unborn child's life is harder."
His lips were practically on my ear, so that I could feel them move, but I was in some sort of trance. I could not rebel. "Arella tried, she failed. And so will you."
"And think of poor Beastboy! You cannot bear to break Beastboy's heart, can you?" he continued, resuming his pacing again. "Not when you are so close to winning him over. Not when Terra's already broken his heart – twice."
Tears almost invaded my cheeks as despair crashed over me, but I pushed them down, blinking furiously. He was right. Beastboy would hate me if I gave up, and I was too selfish to let him go…
No. A voice said. Beastboy would understand you. You know Beastboy. Terra sacrificed herself to save the city, and he cherished her memory. He became stronger, not weaker.
When the time comes, you will know when to act. Worrying about the future is pointless.
We'll cross that bridge when we come to it!
I remember him saying that. I utterly forget why or when, but I remember his voice and his happy grin. I remember him taking my hand and pulling me along.
"I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!" I proclaimed loudly.
The fog lifted. I could move again, and I couldn't help but feel elated. "I am far stronger than you reckon, Brother Blood. And I am definitely not going to come quietly!"
I leaped up, blood racing through my veins, away from that cursed stone altar. At my move, all the followers stood up as one and, standing close as to make layers of walls, pulled out daggers and throwing stars from inside their robes. Sweet Azar, I had forgotten all about them. That was stupid of me… Rule #1, keep your eyes on your surroundings… Sorry Robin.
Heh. Left you with a bit of a cliffhanger there. :) I know this was kind of short, but I wanted to leave off at a good place. For curiosity, that is. ;)
Oh, and this Brother Blood seems to have the same powers as the previous Blood did...(did you catch that part?)
Reviewing would be nice~3