TaintedFlare : Mammoth, all you ever think about is food...I wanna see how Raven's other emotions play into this :P
They are being awfully quiet...
LilithRyoka: Well, seems I haven't reviewed this one yet. Shame on me.
Now,I picked up a bit of an improvement in your grammar since this fanfic started, so congratulations are in order. You'll receive Vanilla Crazy Cake at the end of the world, yes? It's so moist and delicious. Can't you just taste it through your imagination? I sure can.
Now, there were a few chapters when Raven was a little bit OOC, but how couldn't she be? After all, this is not a normal situation, so no one would know how she'd truly react. So let's just say she was a bit out of herself, and returned later, yes?
And your Jinx, oh, treading in very dangerous waters, indeed. I wonder how she will react when the truth sucker punches her in the face? Will it be of terror, or lust? Ultimately, those two reactions are the ones Daemons get the most, no?
P.S.: Poor Gizmo. Jinx should know that kids require lots of food in order to grow properly - something that he sorely needs.
Now, Jinx is really not the best on dealing with Raven, yes? Sometimes it feels as if she's trying to push all towards the destruction of the whole universe, other, I think she's just trying to strike the usual conversation, and, in even others, she is trying to be flirty, in a weird, unsuccessful way. The way things are going, I believe the first option is the one that will most
likely happen. Of course, there will be no true believers ascending towards Paradise, nor five months of pure agony. Although Raven could think on the latter, yes.
P.P.S.: Robin does enjoy ordering his little soldiers around, eh? A game of manipulation truly learned from Batman, indeed. Just not as subtle as the dark cowl's owner.
Now, let's see what this possible serial killer will offer towards the story, eh? Waiting for your next chapter, truly.
Ahh glad to hear my grammar's taken a turn for the better : ) I was actually re-reading it when I noticed and had a little cringe. I'm waiting for that cake with baited breath xD Hmm Raven is pushing Raven a little hard, no, but I'm sure she's just testing the waters. After all before now she's only really ever fought against the girl. End-of-the-world due to Jinx irritating Raven would be a nice twist though. And I'm glad you're enjoying it : )
Spikesagitta: I think she's pretty much in character, I mean after all the original series
doesn't have Jinx kissing Raven and asking her out, and so yeah it will have
to deviated somehow, so it's fine to be a little OOC.
Hmm, true point, but still there is OOC within reason and OOC within what-the-fuck-have-you-done-to-the-character :'D
Concolor44: Whew! Lots going on here. Raven is still being VERY evasive about her background. Jinx has done enough exploring to be able to gauge when to pull back before Raven detonates. Sort of. There in the park, she kinda pushed it.
The more I think about it, the more I can see Jinx's point: Raven could easily slip over to the Dark Side. Her natural predilection goes that way. It is only through her meditation and constant vigilance that she DOESN'T go off the deep end and start a little world-ending of her own. But I guess the point really is that she doesn't want to. She WANTS to be a good guy. Does
Jinx understand THAT?
At least to her buds, she still seems on-track for her original plan. I still say that'll get derailed the closer she gets to Raven.
Hmm, Jinx does seem to be doing nothing be running into trees, instead of moving around them.
Raven was the last to enter the common room, having decided to spend longer meditating than usual. Everyone had crowded into the couch; except for Robin, who was stood by the main screen.
"What did I miss?" She frowned suspiciously as she went about making her morning up of tea.
"Remember that I told you about the fax the police gave me?"
"About the possible serial killer?"
"Yeah. They found a body."
"And they told you this soon because?"
"They didn't find any tool marks. They don't know what killed her." He didn't look happy. Then again, with a possible killer on the loose and no clues as of yet, there wasn't much to be happy about.
"And they want our help?"
"They sent us the details in a report. If we could figure out what it could be-"
"There aren't any pictures, are there?" Beast Boy asked as he turned a shade paler.
"I've already studied them. There's nothing on them. It looks like the victim just died in her sleep."
"But they're classing it as a murder?" Cyborg frowned. "Isn't it a little too soon to draw up such conclusions. Shouldn't they wait for another body?"
"Do you want to wait for another body?" Robin asked gravely. "Batman was able to work of the minimum of clues – we should be able to as well."
"Hey, we're not trained detectives." Beast Boy protested. "We're teenagers that fight petty super villains. We don't deal with murderers."
"Trigon was a murderer of millions. The Brotherhood of Evil hardly had clean hands either." Raven muttered as she finished making her tea and joined the others on the couch.
"I'll read you through the things that stood out to me. Maybe we can figure out a lead." It was obvious from his voice that he believed in that statement as much as Beats Boy. "Okay, so like I said, no markings from any weapon or tool, no traces of poison, no evidence of drowning or electrocution, no evidence of suffocation-"
"You can tell if someone died from suffocation?" Beast Boy frowned.
"Their lips are usually tinged blue, but on occasion they'll have fibres of the material used to suffocate in their mouth and lungs." Robin shrugged. "No odd bruises to show strangulation had occurred. However the girl's nails had been ripped, almost like she's been digging at concrete. Her finger-tips were pretty scraped up too. They didn't find any fragments of material or skin there though. The police are pretty certain she was moved to the location where they found her after death too."
"He knows what he's doing then." Cyborg muttered.
"It could be a she." Raven pointed out.
"My bad."
"Please, but... why would someone do this?" Starfire frowned. "Were they perhaps enemies? And what is a serial killer?"
"They target their victims depending on a certain trait they might have." Robin explained. "Usually they'll keep doing it until they get the perfect kill. Of course that never happens. Why they do it is a mystery. It could come from a hatred of someone, or just a mental instability."
"And do the police have any idea on who they're targeting?"
"There are a few missing person cases of petite women, usually at the end of their teenage years and into young adulthood." Robin looked at Raven, and she gave him an exasperated look.
"I may be the smallest titan to date since Beast Boy's growth spurt, but I'm not that small."
"Regardless, I want you to be careful."
"Hmph. What more do the reports say?"
"That's it. The Commissioner's added a note that it's cleaned up a little too well. He's convinced that it's some meta with the ability to hide things."
"It could be glamour." Raven nodded slowly. "It's relatively easy to achieve, though feats like this would take a lot of magic and control."
"Is there any way for you to know for certain?"
"Not without seeing the body. If it was magic, I'd be able to sense it."
The siren lit up, and Robin turned to the crime scanner. "Warehouse 7 by the docs – the silent alarm's been triggered. We'll discuss this later."
"I thought these warehouses aren't used." Beast Boy muttered and they circled the premises.
"They're not –or they aren't meant to be. But it's still owned property." Cyborg replied. "And after that little stunt Slade pulled in Peer 14, we can't be too careful."
"Hmph. He used the building as nothing more than a lead – hoping to take us out with his Slade-bots." Raven shook her head. "There's nothing round this side of the building." She wrinkled her nose. "I'll be glad to get out of here. It smells like something died in one of the trashcans."
"I don't smell anything." Cyborg frowned, taking a big whiff. "Nothing but the sea air."
"I'm with Raven, something does smell a little off."
"Since when did you have a sense of smell like BB's?" Cyborg frowned at the empath.
"There is a reason for why I try not to use the corridor outside Beast Boy's room." She replied dryly, to Cyborg's amusement.
"Hey! That's not-"
"Robin calling."
Cyborg answered his build it communicator. "Yo man, what's up?"
"We've found a door that's been forced open. Re-group at my position."
"On our way."
"That smell's getting worse." Raven muttered as she covered her mouth and nose with her hand after a minute of walking.
"I still don't smell anything."
"It just smells like before." Beast Boy shrugged. "I'd morph into a blood hound, but from the way Raven's suffering, I think I'll pass."
"Someone forced in the back entrance, I'm guessing with a crowbar- Raven what are you doing?" Robin frowned taking a double take.
"Protecting my sense of smell."
"From what?"
She didn't answer until she reached her leader and Starfire, looking inside the door. She could feel her stomach churning with disgust and she tried to only take in small breaths. "It smells like an outhouse and... a butcher's shop that was abandoned with the meat still in it."
"But friend, I do not smell anything." Starfire frowned, confused.
"I do, but I'm only getting brief whiffs. I know I'd be able to smell it better if shifted, but I don't want to smell it." Beast Boy shook his head.
Robin frowned at Raven. "Since when it your smell better than Beast Boy's?"
"It isn't. With most things. Of course one of the few things I am more sensitive to is flesh."
"Heritage?" Cyborg guessed, and she nodded.
"I think we might have to call the police. Something tells me we've been left a gift."
"No. We'll check it out first. If we're lucky it's just a dead animal."
"Since when have we been lucky?" Raven asked, but followed Robin even though her senses were screaming at her to go in the opposite direction. "Scan the area." He ordered upon seeing it was a maze of old crates and boxes.
"I can believe I'm doing this." Raven muttered, pulling her hand away from her nose, before moving around the large building, following the stench.
She could hear the others also moving about with no particular pattern, shouting comments to each other. She noted dryly that is wasn't going to give them the element of surprise if someone alive was in here.
Working her way the maze, she paused when she realised she'd pretty much lost all her sense of smell but for the rotting flesh. "Robin?"
"What? You found something."
"I'm pretty certain it's somewhere close to me."
"Well tell me if you find something. I've got to finish my first section."
She cursed him under her breath. Robin had seen plenty of murders in Gotham. She had been hoping to shove him round the corner. Taking a deep breath – and instantly regretting that decision, she closed her eyes before stepping round. Slowly opening her eyes...
Only to slam them shut again. Fighting down the bile that rose in her throat, she veered back around the corner, leaning on one of the crates for support. "Robin!"
"What?" She could hear he was getting impatient. Probably frustrated that he hadn't come across something.
"Call the police. I found our body. Only... this wasn't a clean kill."
Sick curiosity made her look back round. It defiantly wasn't a clean kill. Someone had attached a meat hook from the ceiling, and speared the girl on it. They'd then taken a knife and split her down the stomach, leaving her intestines hanging down into the floor. Only it didn't add up. Raven knew from the stench that this girl had been dead for a while, but the stomach wound was new. She'd been moved here – possibly when the alarm was triggered, then cut open. So she was betting she'd been killed the same as the first.
She heard heavy footsteps coming from behind her. Cyborg. "Do I want to look?"
"No." She pulled back to look at him. "Where's Robin?"
"Coming. There was poor signal so he had to step outside to call the police. Star and BB are with him and they'll stay there to meet the police. Robin's coming back in once he's called."
She nodded slowly, covering her nose again.
"Is it bad?"
"It's like something out of a horror film." Raven winced. "Though they made some mistakes even I noticed and I don't usually look at dead bodies."
"Like what?"
"It's old; at least a week, but there's a fresh cut letting the intestines show. Someone was trying to disguise the original killing method."
"What makes you so sure?"
"If it had all been done at the same time, I'm certain the innards would look a lot more decomposed than they do."
"You seen this kinda stuff before?" Cyborg looked horrified.
"My father often gave me... interesting insights to hell."
"Damn..."
Robin rushed past them and around the corner. Raven and Cyborg waiting for him to turn and walk back, and were surprised when he didn't. They empath peeked around the corner to find him analyzing the scene with narrowed eyes.
"The police coming?" Raven asked, and she received a nod.
"They should be here in a minute." They heard him sigh. "This is different from the first body. I don't like it."
"But what does that mean?" Cyborg asked.
"They could be trying to throw us off their sent – make it look like there's more than one killer."
"But you think it's the same guy?"
"Yeah."
"Well, at least we know they're not as good as we originally thought." Raven nodded. "Though I wonder why they changed tactics. If they did use glamour with the first body, it will be much harder to trace. They're more likely to slip up doing this. I thought serial killers had a very organised way of killing."
"They do. In most cases."
"Robin! The police men are here!" Starfire shouted. "I have sent them in!"
"Thanks Star, we'll be out in a moment!"
"I'm leaving now." Raven shook her head. "I can't stand that stench any longer. The smell alone is making me feel like I need a very thorough shower."
"You can go too Cy, if you want to wait by the car."
Well, just go ahead and introduce a whole new genre why don't you? Like I didn't have my hands full as it was. But the killer is part of a plot. I just got bored with the one plot romance I had going on – I myself have never been a fan of books with romance in unless there's plenty of blood, guts, death and heartbreak in-between. Yes I'm, still focusing on Jinx and Raven – they deserive the focus. Wonderful couple, just don't expect every chapter to be about them from here onwards.
Anyways what did you think? I know this area of my writing needs a whole lot of improvement, so I'm hoping for critical reviews abound. ;)
