"Dude, do you have a patent on those two words or somethin'? One of these days I'd like to hear the alarm go off and hear you say 'Titans, danger!'. Or maybe: 'Titans, bad stuff is happening'!" - Beast Boy

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

THICKER THAN BLOOD

Bard lay wide awake that night, or whatever you could call night inside a cavern. Zillah had provided him and Starfire with down filled cots, and he was laying in one of them now. On the other hand, Starfire had fell asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. Bard figured that the Tamaranean probably had an on/off switch on the back of her neck or something. He sure wished he had one.

The most comfortable bed the cowboy had ever owned was, well, his bed in Titans Tower. And this cot couldn't touch it with a ten foot, no, make that a twenty foot, pole. But it wasn't so uncomfortable that he shouldn't be able to go to sleep. No, the reason he couldn't sleep was simple: He had too many damned things on his mind.

The proposal Brother Blood had given him earlier was a profound one and, try though he might, he couldn't make a decision. Ever since he had arrived in Jump City and joined the Titans, he had never believed that he was a superhero. When he found out he had powers, it just seemed like the right thing to do. But now he wasn't so sure, especially with Brother Blood's words swirling around over and over in his head.

"Being a superhero is not your true calling, Bard. You are a man of God. And thus, it is your responsibility to look over his children."

That statement rang with truth. But couldn't he help God's children just as well, if not more, than by protecting them from evil as a superhero? He did not see himself as a minister giving sermons or a leader holding a community together. But still…

Finally, Bard sat up in frustration. He wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, so he might as well go outside and get some fresh…er, and stretch his legs. He got up and left the room quietly to avoid disturbing Starfire. Just because he couldn't sleep shouldn't mean Starfire needed to lose any of her sleep, right?

Once outside, Bard looked up and dark rock filled his vision. This cave was nice enough, Bard supposed, but for a man who considered the mountains as his home as much or perhaps even more than any building he had ever lived in, he liked to be able to look up and see the sky.

Bard started walking down the rocky, seemingly primitive street. There were very dim lampposts at regular intervals, and he made a note to himself to ask how they were powered. He marveled at the architecture of the buildings again and the complete trust everyone had in the other people in the community. The windows of the assorted houses were simply square holes in the rock walls, with no curtains to be found. If one really wanted to, they could easily peek in at everyone's private life.

That got Bard to thinking at he continued along aimlessly. The people here seemed almost alien…and now he knew why. These people, more than any other living being the cowboy had ever seen, personified peace. There was the renegade faction, of course, but the people in this community seemed totally unaffected by it. The people he had seen walking the streets earlier were silent and moved with a kind of fluid, tranquil grace. He had seen no aggression from these people at all. Despite the relatively small size of the community, it was obvious that Brother Blood was a great leader.

And that's was one of the major factors of his indecision. Even if Bard did accept the burden of leading these people by giving up being a superhero, would he really be able to keep them they way they were now, untouched by the evils that permeated the cities above? There was a chance, he admitted to himself, but he certainly wasn't very optimistic about it.

Bard wasn't even sure of where exactly he was going until he actually got there. He looked up and saw Brother Blood's house, and realized that's where he had been going all along. The visage that filled his eyes was one of perfect peace. The glossy, limestone walls of Brother Blood's house reflected the dim light from it's small island, and the water in the pond surrounding it was completely calm and as smooth at glass. The delicate, narrow bridge leading to it over the water completed the tranquil scene.

He took his time crossing the bridge. The peace of this place calmed and relaxed him. He hadn't been a Teen Titan for a long time, but he did enjoy time away from stressful events; simple events like barreling down the streets on his Harley after a crazy biker or getting kicked in the face with platform shoes or getting stabbed with a knife or being threatened with castration…

He smiled ruefully to himself and shook his head. In the short time he'd fought along side the Titans, he already had enough incredible stories to tell his grandchildren. Of course, that was considering the fact that he lived long enough to become a grandfather…

"I wish I knew what you were thinking."

Bard's head jerked up. The voice was coming from inside the house.

"You were so blind! You wanted us to hide from the evils of the world down here in these caves like cowardly moles! But you can't hide from evil, father. You must destroy it."

Curious, Bard gave a brief, customary knock on the door and opened it up…Just in time to see the grisly, horrific scene inside. Brother Blood was lying in a wooden tub, his nakedness hidden by the red blood that clouded the water and poured from the huge piercing in his chest. And standing beside the tub, a dripping and bloody knife in one hand and Brother Blood's magical shawl in the other, was his son Sebastion.

The cowboy didn't wretch or even turn away from the violence before him. Unfortunately, he had seen this kind of thing before…too many times. Instead, he simply looked up and locked eyes with Sebastion. What he saw in them, or perhaps what he didn't see in them, was surprising. There was no fear of being discovered, and no regret for what he had done. But there was also no hint of malice. They were filled with a kind of implacable, resolute determination. It was like murdering his father was only a chore that needed to be done.

"Congratulations, Bard." he said evenly. "You get to be an unwilling, unsung martyr."

Then, the boy's eyes suddenly changed. Now they showed surprise, horror and righteous indignation all at the same time. He dropped the bloody knife and-

"HELP!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Bard closed his eyes in dread.

You have GOT to be kidding me…

SLAM!

At least a dozen men charged into the room from a back door and formed up around Sebastion to stare in horror at Brother Blood's murdered body and then to look up to stare accusing at Bard. They wore the same long, white robes as the rest of the citizens of the community, but there was a red cross stitched into the garments just over the heart. Probably a badge of the honor guard or something…

But what Bard noticed the most about them was that they were all armed with stout, stone maces that were quite similar to the weapons the black robed, ninja liked people from the renegade faction were armed with when they attacked him earlier.

"He killed my father!" Sebastion cried, and fabricated tears filled his eyes as he pointed accusatorily at Bard. "Seize him!"

The warrior monks all took a step towards Bard menacingly and, at the exact same time, the cowboy took a cautious step back. He was in the dark to what he should do, probably because he'd never been in this situation before. It wasn't everyday you were framed for murder, after all. A few possible solutions came to him, like denouncing Sebastion or fighting his way out of here, but neither of them panned out. Sebastion was Brother Blood's son and the guard's didn't know about the curse. There was no way they'd believe him. And he didn't really want to hurt the guards, since they were just being manipulated by Sebastion.

So, what did that leave…?

Bard spun on the heel of his cowboy boot, ripped open the front door and tore off as fast as he could across the bridge.

"After him!" Sebastion yelled. "He must pay for this vile sin!"

As Bard ran across the bridge and into the city with his boots clanking against the rock, he didn't even have to turn around to know that the guards were following him. But he was an incredibly fast runner and, more than that, he knew it. He soon outdistanced the men chasing him, but that didn't mean he was out of the woods yet. When he finally arrived at the building Zillah had given to him and Starfire, he was totally out of breath.

God, I have to quit smoking…

Panting heavily, he quickly enter the house.

"Starfire," he whispered through his heavy breathing, taking her gently by the shoulders and shaking her. "Get up! We have to get out of here!"

"Mmmm," Starfire muttered and rolled over, obviously still asleep.

"C'mon, Starfire. Get up!"

"Robin," she murmured dreamily. "I am happy to see you as well, but why, might I ask, are you wearing a pink robe?"

Bard stared at her funny, but then he shook his head and nudged her more forcibly Finally, her emerald eyes popped open..

"Jonny?"

Bard blinked. That had caught him by surprise.

"Uh, yeah." He said. "But I need you to get up. We gotta get out of here."

"But why must we leave?" Starfire wanted to know.

"These people think I killed Brother Blood." He answer quickly. "Now let's go!"

Starfire gasped and brought both of her hands to her mouth.

Bard mentally kicked himself for telling her that. He loved Starfire like a sister, but they didn't have time for surprise. They had to get out of here!

As if to reiterate that point, there came a heavy slamming from the door.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"Open up! We know you're in there!" A male voice called through the door, probably a guard. "Come out and pay for your crime!"

"Sonuva-" Bard half cursed under his breath. "Now what?"

Starfire's head cocked to the side.

"Do we not posses more than ample force between us to overcome these assailants?" She asked.

"Yeah," Bard admitted. "But I don't want to hurt these people unless we have to. They don't know what they're doing is wrong."

"Then how will we escape?"

Bard thought about it for a moment, scratching his cheek.

"Say, Starfire." He finally asked speculatively. "Exactly how strong are those star bolts of yours?"

"Well…"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The lead guard outside the building was getting impatient.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

"If you have any righteousness left in your soul, you'll come out now!" He bellowed.

But there was nothing but silence from within the building. Finally, the lead guard's frustration got the better of him.

"Out of the way," he barked to his companions as he backed up from the door. Setting his feet, he charged with a lowered shoulder to batter the door down…

ZAF…BOOM!

The charging guard slipped and fell on his face from the explosion. But the star bolt hadn't been aimed at him or his companions; it had been aimed at the side wall of the building instead. The rock wall exploded outwards, and the girl and the murderer flew out. The long haired killer even had the audacity to hum a tune as he escaped!

The guard sat up wearily and shook his head in disgust. He had let the man who killed his master get away…

Bard could feel his half sister's burning presence on top of Titans Tower before the building even came into view, and dread filled his stomach like lead. This was not going to be fun…

"Where…have…you…been?" The dark sorceress uttered at him as soon as he and Starfire touched down.

Bard sweat dropped and coughed nervously.

"Starfire," he said to her, though he couldn't look away from Raven's flashing eyes. "Why don't you go down and let Robin know where we've been?" He suggested.

"V-very well, Bard." She replied. Giving both Raven and Bard a nervous look, she timidly walked away and entered the elevator.

"So," Bard said, taking off his hat to nervously scratch his hair. "I'm guessing you want an explanation."

"…No." Raven turned away and began to mediate as if he wasn't even there.

Bard blinked.

"What?"

"How you spend your time is your own affair, as long as it doesn't jeopardize the team." Her voice was cold and emotionless, as if she really were the Ice Queen everyone thought she was.

"Okay," Bard said, obviously confused. "Who are you and what did you do with Raven?"

"I made a mistake." Raven answered mysteriously. "And now I'm fixing it."

Bard's eyebrow shot up. He was even more confused now.

"What mistake?" He wanted to know.

"…"

"I'm not moving an inch until you tell me." Bard told her adamantly. "And I'm your brother, so you know how stubborn I can be."

"It's you, okay?" Raven spit out.

"Me?"

"I can't get close to anyone." She explained, and Bard remembered her saying that more than once before. "Whether it be a lover or a family member. Even my friendship with the other Titans is tenuous at best."

"Let me get this straight." Bard said, holding up his hands. "I reckon what your saying is that it's wrong for you to love your own brother?"

"Like," Raven corrected quickly. "Like."

"You're scared of that word, aren't you?" Bard somehow saw directly to the heart of the matter. "Just like you're afraid of Trigon."

"I don't do fear."

"Bullshit!" Bard exclaimed, suddenly angry. "You're afraid of your emotions, almost as much as you're scared of Trigon!"

"I am not afraid of my, our, father." Raven grated. "And I arrest my emotions to protect all of your from him, not because I fear them."

"Look, I don't want protection. I want my sister!" Bard told her passionately. "And if Trigon pops up, I'll take him to the woodshed and push him back down to where he belongs!"

"You can't. No one can."

Bard opened his mouth…

"And don't talk to me about your mythical god." Raven cut him off. "I don't want to hear it."

"I'm gonna tell you the honest truth." Bard said to her directly, deciding not to use the phrase 'God's honest truth'. "I'd rather know the real you for one day and face all the hell, fire and brimstone Trigon can fling at me than know you as the Ice Princess for the rest of my life."

Raven's purple eyes suddenly softened and something, Bard didn't know what, flickered deep inside of them. But then those two orbs hardened again. Raven turned her back to him and began to walk away briskly.

"You just don't understand…"

As his sister descended in the elevator, Bard hung his head low and sighed.

If he could only make her see!

Inside Titans Tower, Bard walked down a hallway with his hands thrust deeply in the front pockets of his jeans and his head down. But as the cowboy walked by Superboy's room, the door slid open and none other than the Boy of Steel himself, wearing his trademark blue and red jumpsuit with his black leather jacket framing the Superman emblem on his chest, stepped out. Bard stopped and Superboy stared at him.

"What?" Bard finally demanded.

"Copycat,"

Bard's eyebrow came up.

As if to answer the unspoken question, Superboy reached into his jacket, pulled out his red mirrored shades, twirled them coolly on the tip of his finger before pushing them smoothly onto his face.

Bard suddenly understood. He meant the new glasses Cyborg had made him.

"Yeah, all right." He muttered before trudging on by. He didn't have the will power to argue.

Superboy immediately knew something was wrong. Bard was the one person he could always get a good fight out of.

"All right," he said, trailing along. "What's up?"

"Nothing,"

"Yeah, right." Superboy retorted sarcastically. Then his face scrunched up as if he were thinking. "Ha! It's Raven, isn't it?"

Bard swiveled quickly around to face him.

"How in the blue hell did you know that?"

Superboy shrugged, but his boyish grin almost split his face.

"I guess I'm just good like that!" He paused. "Besides, Raven just came through here looking like a thundercloud…just like you!"

"…."

"So what's the matter? Raven wouldn't share?" Superboy joked.

Bard shook his head wryly.

If only he knew how close that was to the truth…

Almost as soon as Superboy and Bard entered the main room of the tower, the cowboy heard the last two words he wanted to hear at that moment.

"Titans, trouble!"

"Dude, do you have a patent on those two words or somethin'?" Beast Boy half demanded/half joked at Robin. "One of these days I'd like to hear the alarm go off and hear you say 'Titans, danger!'. Or maybe: 'Titans, bad stuff is happening'!"

Robin glared at him.

"Er, just saying…" The little changeling sweat dropped nervously.

"What's going on?" Bard asked reluctantly.

"Not sure," Robin answered, typing away furiously while looking at the screen. "It just says that there's some kind of disturbance downtown."

"That's not vague," Raven droned dryly.

"Well, whatever is, I'm sure the Teen Titans can take care of it." Robin answered. "Titans, go!"

As Bard barreled down the streets of Jump City on his Harley, his mind was on anything but what he was heading towards. A lot had happened in the last twenty four hours, and all those events swirled around in his head.

Raven sat at the top of his thoughts. His sister was definitely an enigma, and he wondered if all brothers went through this with their siblings. Because of Trigon, Raven would never show him her true face, and that gnawed endlessly at him. He had found his only family after all these years and he wouldn't even get a chance to really know her! He tried to think about something else, but his other problems were just as bad.

Sebastion had framed him for his father's murder, and he had a feeling that he wouldn't rest until he fulfilled the promise of making him a martyr. Brother Blood had been a peaceful leader, but Bard had a feeling Sebastion was going to cause trouble…

And the cowboy couldn't forget about Jinx, Kitten and Slade. The ominous man flirted around the shadows; never in the limelight, but always there. Waiting.

Absently, Bard hit the right turn blinker and turned his Harley down another street.

WHAM!

Bard saw nothing but a blur of red and white before something plowed into him He and his attacker was knocked to the ground as his bike skidded sparks before it hit the curb and stopped. Meanwhile, Bard and his attacker rolled across the pavement. The two finally came to a half with Bard on top. The cowboy finally got a good look at him.

"Sebastion?" He gasped.

Brother Blood's son had really changed. His eyes were now blood red, and they looked completely frightening on his darkly colored skin and his pale white hair that fell into his face. He wore a regal, white tunic and a red cape.

HONK! HONK!

Bard realized that he and Sebastion were still in the middle of the street. And when he looked up, a pair of bright headlights reflected off his new glasses.

Aw, shi-!

Him and Sebastion tumbled over each other again, just barely getting out of the way of the car. This time, Sebastion had Bard pinned under him.

"Not Sebastion," he grated at the cowboy. "Brother Blood."

Suddenly, there was an intense pain in Bard's neck.

"Augh! What the…?" Bard's eyes had widened in astonishment. Sebastion…Brother Blood, had bit into his neck! "Get…offa…me!"

Bard planted both his cowboy boots hard into Brother Blood's chest, shoved him off and made it quickly to his feet. Brother Blood regained his footing at the same time, dark red blood dripping from his chin.

"Ah," the former Sebastion intoned. "You really are quite powerful. If you would have used all your strength, you could have destroyed me and my followers when we attacked you."

The memory of the black robed mace wielders entered Bard's mind.

"That was you?"

"Of course," Brother Blood told him obviously. "I knew my father wanted you to take his place instead of me…and I could not allow that."

"But-"

"Feel my righteous fury!" Brother Blood pointed a finger, and a thick, blue lightening bolt arced at the cowboy.