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Desperation
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Keep your eyes on your surroundings.
Right. I could do that. Keeping my fighting stance, I ran a quick mental scan of the room. Behind me was the altar, with the figure of my father towering over it. The rectangular altar itself was made of reddish rock and positioned on top of a sort of circular stage made of the same material. Well, the entire place, save the dirty white banners hung here and there, was made of that stuff. The lighting reflecting off the walls were casting a reddish glow over everything; even made my grayish skin tone look almost human.
This place seemed to be some kind of cave. I could see the great wrought-iron-and-wood doors directly across from me over the sea of purple-robed figures with weapons. There were no windows that I could see, but the air wasn't as close as it should be with torches burning everywhere and roughly six hundred people inside, so I supposed there must be another opening somewhere.
Wherever that opening was, right now it didn't do me any good. In this state I couldn't fly or teleport or use my powers to blast the doors off their hinges. A brief regret at not paying more attention to Robin and his hand-to-hand combat lessons passed over me. Beastboy had stifled a laugh when he caught me cheating and using a little bit of my powers. Focus, Raven, focus, I chided myself.
But powers or no powers, I put up my fists in a fighting position and braced myself for any attacks that might come my way. Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos. Please let this work… My mind raced furiously, thinking of any way to keep myself safe while allowing for escape.
As I prepared to rush headlong into the fray while trying frantically to concoct a plan at short notice – this is Robin's thing, not mine, I complained – a loud laugh broke my concentration.
"Raven, Raven. This is futile and you know it. Don't harm yourself unnecessarily."
"What do you care about my well-being?" I spat. Good, keep him talking. More time to think. "I'm nothing more than a vessel for you."
He shook his head in astonishment.
"Why, Raven, I need my vessel unbroken and whole of course. And who else is like you?" His gaze was far from innocent as his eyes swept my body, noticeably lingering at my hips and then at my chest, the tip of this tongue licking his lips in a way that made me shiver in disgust.
"Delicious."
That last comment shocked me into silence. I glared at him in repulsed disbelief. Running up to him and slapping him seemed to be a very good idea at the moment…
Fire. There was a flickering torch right behind him, and it looked like I could pull the torches down and light fire to the banner. Then I could climb the statue of my father, hide behind his ear and wait for them to throw their weapons at me. Weapons I could throw right back. The problem was the climb – the statue was at least twelve feet tall – but with my cloak, maybe I could get up there. And if the torch emits enough smoke, I might be able to find that other opening. I tried not to show my triumph and kept glaring.
Blood was coming towards me in a predatory way I absolutely did not like. Make that two torches, he will burn if he tries anything.
"Come now, there is absolutely no reason to be shy."
He was coming, I had to move.
I ran as hard as I could towards the nearest torch. As if from a long distance, Blood's roar fell only dimly on my ears. I snatched the torch off the bracket, and tossed it into the crowd without a second thought. A burst of flame, the piercing screams of the crowd and the nauseating smell of burning flesh – I ignored them all.
I whipped off my cloak, and with two tries, managed to hang the hood of my cloak onto my father's stone belt. Using that as a handhold, I shimmied up the statue, using the irregular surface of the rock to my advantage.
I had just gotten to Trigon's waistband when the weapons started flying. I ran along the belt to hide behind the crevice between Trigon's waist and the wall. Three whizzes; a dagger and two throwing stars missed me by mere inches and clattered back onto the floor far below me. Desperately, I chanted three words that had served me so well for seventeen years of my life.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"
A spark, a sizzle. It wasn't working, but it wasn't making any sense, either. The chakra was to control possible unhindered explosions of my power, power I would have loved to let run rampant at the moment. I didn't understand how this was happening. I needed to get out of here.
"Raven, come down you foolish girl. There is nowhere to run."
"Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate."
It was a crazy answer, but then again, I wasn't really in my right mind at the moment. Alright, look for an opening to run out of…smoke…smoke…Trigon's nostrils and eyes were large holes. This was going to get utterly disgusting, even though the statue was only a stone representation.
I edged back onto the waistband. I would aim to one of the stone fists, so I could somehow reach his shoulders, climb up to the eyes, climb through there and see where it leads me. I wasn't sure I could do it, but I had to try. What other choice did I have?
…I forgot, my communicator. In all the commotion, I didn't think to pull out the communicator. Cursing myself for being stupidly optimistic, I still reached for the jewel on my belt that rested at my right hip bone. There will be nothing there, I told myself. But…?
Miraculously, incredibly – it was still there on the inside of my belt. Hope rising, hands trembling, I opened it.
The screen remained blank. There was no signal.
Ice seemed to run through my veins as the world seemed to crash down over me. In the background, Blood was screaming in delight at my despairing moment, his cronies echoing him even though some of them had skin burnt raw by the torch I had thrown earlier. I shuddered at the hideous din. They were all crazy.
"Sweet Raven, have you hit a dead end?" Blood mocked in a falsely sweet voice that turned my stomach.
I had lost all contact with the Titans. My connection with Robin was something that needed concentration for, which I currently did not have. And that clorbag Blood probably would have some sort of mind shield around here.
Conclusion: they are not coming anytime soon. They no longer had a means to instantly locate me. This didn't bode well for me.
I ran.
A frantic jump, and I was on his fist. Desperately clinging on, I inched up the arm, slipping, nearly falling.
Weapons clattering all around me, sometimes scraping my skin just enough to bleed – my arms aching, burning – time had no meaning, all was sweltering red, mingled with smears of blood involuntarily offered onto Trigon's statue from scraped knees and cut skin – If I fall, I will surely die – helpless but to endure, endure the pain and the taunting voice of Blood –
I couldn't make it. The statue was too tall and too sheer. It was all I could do to stay hanging on around the elbow of my father. Maybe the weapons had some sort of weak poison, because I felt sweaty and feverish and tired. Oh so tired.
Please, somebody…find me here…
Blood said something, but I dared not look down. I was afraid I would fall down if I did.
"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," I whispered, my voice more of a plea than a chant. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos…"
There was a huge commotion below, but again, I dared not look. They're coming to get me, I thought. They're coming, and there's nothing I can do about it now.
If anyone touches me, I'll give them hell before I go down.
My mouth one grim line, I waited for something to happen.
"Raven!"
I almost fell off the statue in shock. That something definitely didn't include that voice. Cautiously, I peered down.
My family was here.
And Beastboy was staring up at me with wide eyes.
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A/N Hiya guys!! It's been a LONG while...Happy belated Halloween. ^^ I'm sorry if this chapter isn't up to my usual standards, I have a feeling it's a bit dragging. It was meant to be "action packed" but well...I tried. I tried. If you imagine it, it's pretty...intense. Or so it was supposed to be. ^^;;
Review please~ I need a LOT of input on this one.