Chapter 9: Hidden Blood

I desperately wanted to sleep. Even though my body was technically asleep, my mind was in overdrive. Memories of my first day of school all the way up to now kept playing over in my head. I was trying to look for something. What? I hadn't a clue. Anything that would get me out of this situation, I guess. I wasn't having much luck. My mind lingered on my dream in the hospital. It wasn't very clear. What had I been so afraid of? Who was this him? It was almost like I knew him, but not quite. The presence had felt oddly familiar and it was like I had been afraid of him before, even though that was the first time I had seen him. Right? Was it possible that we had met before and I just couldn't remember and my body got me out of there because it remembered something? That might sound crazy, but after these past couple of days crazy didn't seem to have the same meaning as it once did. What had been crazy before was now actually real and normal, like this super villain and the Titans who also had powers. I had always thought that I had been alone. I had thought about others having abilities, but my mind quickly dismissed it as being crazy or impossible.

I wondered for a brief moment if my message had gotten to them. I quickly thought of something else. I needed to accept that this was my new home and that I wasn't going anywhere. That's what all the facts and reality said. The chance of that message getting through was almost impossible. There was no point in putting hope into it. It would just end in disappointment.

I almost felt like dying. Life just didn't seem to have a reason anymore. My life was not mine to control any more, it was Slade's. I would have to give in. I needed to let this stubbornness go. It would only bring me pain. I didn't want pain, whether it be physically or mentally.

I could feel him lingering. He was near, but I wasn't sure how near. Was he… observing me? I wasn't sure if I wanted to find him. I really wanted some answers, but my fear told me otherwise. My body told me to get the hell out of there. NOW! I held my ground, forcing my body to stay put. My body struggled against my mind. I had to get answers. I needed to know why he was so familiar to me. I needed to know what he wanted.

I would not hide anymore. I was tired of being a shadow and being afraid. I needed to face my fears. My curiosity was stronger than my fear. I could do this. I just had to push through it. If I didn't then I would just going to go back how it was right now. I needed change. I would not be a prisoner. I needed to free myself.

My eyes closed and I let my senses go completely. Wherever he was, I would find him. I opened my eyes and stood up. Of course, I wasn't exactly standing, my body was out and I was in my mind. This was all happening in my head. It didn't make much sense to me, but I'd go with it.

I walked forward, into the darkness. My eyes strained to see what was ahead of me. I kept walking, having no idea where I was going. I felt something leading me on and I warily followed it. This feeling was not good. It was completely evil and dark. My heart began beating faster. I did not like this feeling. Whoever he was he was powerful and dangerously horrific. I held onto my confidence. I was seeking out something that took much joy in sinful behavior.

I could not ignore the panic trying to take control of me. I have to accept it, but not let it control me. I could no longer push it away. Pushing it away would get me nowhere. I had to have faith in myself. I had to keep my brain clear enough to make clever decisions.

I slowed my pace, but did not cease my movement. I continued forward. I don't think I was in my mind anymore. I could no longer feel my body, nor could I sense it. The darkness here was different. It wasn't natural. It was unusually heavy and dense. I was trembling lightly and my breathing had quickened immensely as did my heart rate.

I could sense him clearly now and I knew he could sense me. My hairs stood on end. What had I gotten myself into? It was already too late to turn back, way too late. I took deep breaths to try and keep myself calm. It worked slightly, not much, but it was better than nothing. I could see a slight glow ahead of me. He was close I knew. Once I entered that glow I would find him. I would never be ready for this, but I continued on, at an even slower pace.

I shut my eyes as I grew closer to the light. I was beginning to sweat. I stopped once I knew I was in the light. I stood there completely still and did not open my eyes. I heard growls. I slowly opened my eyes. At least a dozen of monsters were circling me. I wasn't even exactly sure what they were. They walked on all fours and were the size of large ponies. They had canine like snouts with erect ears. Their mouths were full of long sharp teeth. Their front feet were paw like while their hind feet were more cloven. Scaly skin covered their legs. The main body was covered in a more leather like skin. A long reptilian tail hung from their haunches. Small horns sprouted from their sculls. Some had a few while others had many. Most were solid in color, but there were several that were either spotted or striped.

My eyes widened as they began to circle me closer. I couldn't take a step back. They were everywhere. They continued to growl at me menacingly. I somehow kept myself mostly calm. How? I have no idea. They began to move me forward, snapping their jaws at me. I moved immediately. I didn't want to anger them. Where were they taking me?

Walls seemed to appear from nowhere. All of a sudden we were walking down a wide corridor made of bricks. I could sense nervousness, but it wasn't mind. These creatures were growing … nervous? Why? What were they afraid of? It seemed to be more of a respectful fear than anything else. Their master must be close by. This was most likely who they were taking me too.

I could see a large door ahead, covered with what looked like thorns. I wanted to stop, but I couldn't. I would just be pushed forward and growled at more. I could feel a nudge on my back. I had slowed down, and they didn't like that. I picked back up my pace. The soft growling ceased as I picked up my pace.

We stopped just before the door. All the creatures sat down and one of them in the front let out an eerie unnatural bark. For several minutes it was quiet. Everything was still. Suddenly there was a loud clank. The door was unlocked then opened. I kept my eyes on the ground. He was there, in the room and he looked anything, but friendly.

The strange creatures began to move forward forcing me to move forward as well. My heart was racing now. I starred at my own feet, and watched each foot move. I tried to concentrate on this movement. It was the only thing I could do to keep the fear from taking over. I could hear his slight laughter. He knew that I was afraid and on the edge of breaking. He wanted to break me. Then he would use me, for what I did not know.

He sat on what looked like some kind of throne. I wasn't very sure. I had only let my eyes see him for a moment, before I had averted them elsewhere. He was large, so incredibly large, that I felt small in comparison. His skin was a bright red, as were his four intimidating eyes. His hair was white and what had looked like a pair of antlers on his head.

I was doomed for. There was nothing I could do. My power was so small in comparison to his. I wouldn't have a chance. Why hadn't I Thought this out before I went to seek him out? Well, in my defense, I didn't know who he would be, but I should have known better. He was familiar, but I couldn't remember why. I had to stay strong. There was still a chance that I could get out of this. Sure that chance was impossible, but it was still a chance.

The beasts left me terrifyingly close to him. They left silently and slowly. I still did not look up, even when I heard the clank of the door shutting and locking. I was trying to think of a plan, but it was hard to think when you're also trying to control your fear. Being in front of him didn't help either.

He spoke. His voice was deep and filled with vileness. "Do you remember?" he asked.

I shook my head no. my body shuddered from the sound of his voice.

"Really?" he asked playfully, "How disappointing".

I didn't say anything in return. I was going to remain silent as long as I could.

"My precious child, you have not forgotten. You merely wish not to remember. These memories are at the back of your mind, chained to the ground. Not a very good technique, but I see it has worked well enough".

I didn't know what he was talking about, but it sounded like I had met him before. Was it true? That I had pushed these memories away? My thoughts were interrupted.

"Though I suppose a new mind did not help. Everything I have taught you put into file cabinets and locked away. Tell me, do you even know where that key is?"

Again I shook my head no.

"Just as I thought" his voice had grown soft and was taunting. Unlucky for you, I happen to know exactly where that key is. Look at me my child".

I couldn't figure out why he had called me that, but I obeyed reluctantly and slowly rose my eyes and then my head.

"Much better, don't you think?" he said.

I didn't do or say anything. I was mesmerized by his eyes. I could not look away, no matter how much I tried and how much I wanted to. I was in his control.

"Let me remind you of a few things before I unlock those memories … mmn?"

I only nodded my head. I hadn't wanted to move, but my head was forced to shake up and down for a moment. I wanted so much to be back in control of my own body.

"You do not remember who I am, so I will tell you, Trigon, the Terrible, a very powerful demon. Does that ring any bells?"

My head shook back and forth involuntary.

"No?" he said, "you must have locked those memories away tightly."

He sounded surprised and extremely disappointed. I knew he was toying with me. The tone of his voice was deceiving. That was not how he felt and we both knew that.

"Glacier, my dear, It is time for you come home. If you behave I may even give you some freedom."

I was really confused, but I knew one thing for certain. My home was not with Trigon. I somehow found my voice and told him so. "This is not my home" I yelled, "What gives you the right to steal me away?" my voice sounded a lot more confident than I actually was.

He burst out into laughter, "What gives me the right? I'll tell you what gives me the right girl. I am your creator, your master. I own you."

I wasn't sure what to say to that. I could only hope that it wasn't true. I managed to yell out something else. "You didn't create me. My parents created me. My mother gave birth to me." I shouted.

He continued to laugh. "You honestly think that those humans are your parents? Yes, she did give birth to you, but that doesn't mean you are hers. I created you first."

Okay. Now I really didn't know what to say. What argument did I have against that? If he created me, how did he do it?

His laughter slowed. "So confused?" he asked smirking.

Once again, I was forced against my will to nod my head. I just wanted this to stop. I'd do almost anything to just wake up, even if Slade still had me. That had to be better than this.

"I joined two strands of DNA to create you. I was very careful in what traits I chose for you, but you still ended up a bit different from what I had expected." The demon paused for a brief moment. "you met her." He said.

I met her? what did that mean. Who did I meet?

He continued on, "I am no fool. I had some off feeling that she might not work, so I created you as a backup."

Created me as a backup? Now I was even more confused, and who was she?

"My daughter Raven was born to become my portal to Earth, but somehow she managed to escape her destiny. I had thought it had been written in stone."

All I could do was stare. He didn't mean the Raven that I had met right? This had to be someone else.

"A few years after she was born I decided to create another means to Earth, just in case. I sent a creature out to bring me a lock of her violet hair."

Violet hair? Had he just said violet hair? She had had violet hair. He was talking about her. How could this be her father? She was a superhero. None of this made any sense.

"I knew she would be powerful, but alas she was kept from me. I could teach her nothing. She was taught to hate me. but I could create something that I could teach, something with her great power and also my great power. If I combined the two then I could create something perhaps even stronger than her."

I think I was starting to get it. I didn't want to, but I think he had combined his and Raven's DNA to create me.

"Each trait was carefully extracted from the lock of hair and I did the same with mine. I combined the two strands of DNA with magic to create something living. I kept you surrounded by a magic fire to keep you safe and to speed up the process called pregnancy. Within several days you were born. I also sped up your growth rate slightly. I did not want a baby; I wanted a child that I could teach, but I did realize that some kind of bond was needed, so I did not increase your growth rate very much."

My eyes were practically bulging out of my head. That was how he had created me. I really wasn't my parents' child? But then how did I end up there? The story was not complete I knew so I listened intensively for the answer.

"Somehow you weren't entirely evil like I had expected. Some kind of good had mistakenly been passed over in Raven's DNA. It wasn't long before you started to defy me. I underestimated you. You escaped and ended up in some human's womb. You had only really been a soul. Your physical body would take more time to construct. I didn't think that you needed a body quite yet, but I was wrong. If you had had a body you would not have been able to be reborn by some human."

My mouth was ajar by this point. Was that really how I ended up there? It didn't seem possible. It sounded … crazy. Crazy didn't mean the same thing anymore so I suppose it was actually, strangely enough, possible.

As much I didn't want to admit it I actually believed it. How else had I gotten these powers? How else did I get the way I looked? How else would I have ended up with this name? My parents never would have named me this on their own. They had said my name had come in a strange dream. Did she have that dream when I entered her womb? I had no choice but to enter a womb, because I had no body. I needed one to be made. And while I was being made, all my memories were pushed away and I became in a way, a new person.

I was slowly beginning to remember. He had just unlocked the file cabinets as he had called them. It was completely true. I could actually vaguely remember escaping and looking for a place to go. I remembered seeing her face and deciding that I wanted her to be my new mother. Why? Again I have no clue.

I didn't want this to be true, but I could not deny it. I remembered it. I wanted to cry. I was still overly confused. All this information was overloading my brain. It was almost too much to handle. My brain just didn't want to accept it. I could barely comprehend all of this.

There was one thing I knew for certain. I could not change it. I could not change the truth. I could not change that fact that everything he said was correct.