Sorry about the wait, no planned story means random updates. If you're wondering why the rating jumped last chapter, it's because that was just the start of the blood. When you're dealing with demons, thing don't stay pretty. And for Tesina's question, I haven't really decided if there's going to be any actual fluff but I am a rather big Raven/BB fan so if there is any pairing it'll be Rae/BB and Rob/Star. Like I said I'm just making it up as I go.

Random note: Whee, demons who can cast level 15 lightning bolts are fun! …Not.

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"Alath…Malduah…"

"Raven!" Beastboy never thought about his next action but it was probably the only thing that saved his friend's life. He charged full on, lowering the wicked sharp trike horns and lining them up with the tree trunk sized lower body of Xazanae. At the last second he slammed home. The impact barely registered as pain to the demon but it was enough to stall his concentration and interrupt the spell. Beastboy, however, felt the blow all the way through his body. He hadn't counted on the armor being as hard or as thick as it was and had driven in with all the force he could manage. He staggered back, dazed and disoriented.

Xazanae growled ferociously and kicked a pair of legs out sending the green trike tumbling away and into a pile of debris. He started again into his casting but this time Raven was the faster. She pulled hard at the strings of invisible force that connected her the oil drum, and it jerked violently into the air sailing through the distance and into the larger demon's outstretched hand just as he let his spell fly. He jerked reflexively, not soon enough to interrupt the spell again but more than adequate enough to redirect it. Unfortunately it was now directed up at the barely stable ceiling of the dilapidated building. A snap of blinding light burst forth for his hand, stealing Raven's vision for a moment, and arched skyward in the form a enormous lightning bolt. It struck a beam dead on and tore through it like paper before continuing on to shatter the rest of the flimsy roof.

Raven gained her sight back in time to find a hailstorm of rock and debris crashing down around her. She formed a shield about her just before a particularly large piece tried to crush her as it fell. Xazanae was irate now. He bellowed, knocking more of the material loose and sending it plunging down onto the heads of his followers. Down below, total chaos had broken out. The people had withstood all threats until now, but the sky falling down on top of them was too much.

Screams broke out, the crowd panicked and dispersed, scattering in all directions. Anyone who wasn't fast enough to find their own route was trampled or knocked aside. Anyone that is, except the mysterious woman Ariel. She strode calmly through the terrified people, even waltzed through the crashing wreckage of the ceiling with out so much as a blink. As she neared the blasted doors that hung on battered hinges she began to whisper out an incantation. She stopped in the door way, blocking off the only path to the outside and spun about to face the half crazed mob. Shouts of protest and a few profanities rang out at her, and a desperate group of people tried to merely shove their way past her. Uttering the last word of her spell, she flung her hands outwards in a violent gesture and a wall of invisible force burst out, flattening the offending individuals to the ground and knocking back those others that had closed in too close. The blast had also knocked back Ariel's hood and as the others regained their footing they could see the despising sneer plastered across her face that marred and perverted her otherwise beautiful features. She cleared her throat and frowned down at her follows like a school teacher reprimanding an unruly classroom.

"Cowards," she hissed in a silky tone, "Run. Run away if you will. I can see that your minds and hearts are not strong enough to complete our ritual. You are not deserving of the power we were about to summon. You fools, did you believe you could be harmed? Look there!" and she pointed to the hulking beast who had taken to swatting a tiring Starfire around like a ping-pong ball, "Do you see? Those Teen Titans are powerful, more so then you or I at this moment, yet our master treats them as nothing more than flies! We have nothing to fear! But the foolish among you may flee if they wish."

She stood aside to reveal the open, inviting door. All but one hesitated.

"You're insane, Ariel," he growled. He stepped forward and, standing inches away from the glowering woman, he reached into his robes and pulled out the fine gold chain and pendant that had hung there and tore it from his neck. He tossed it to the ground and scowled back at her. "Go ahead and stay here with your stupid magic tricks and delusions, I'm leaving." With that he shoved past her and sprinted for the exit.

"I hope you all burn in hell with your… master!" he called over his shoulder as he plunged into the darkness of the night. Once out on the pavement he didn't slow for anything. It felt so lifting to be out of that hell hole. He raced on not caring what the consequences would be, anything, he was sure, would be better than being crushed alive in the name of some faceless entity. As he neared the crackling wall he lowered his head and threw his arms out in front of him, thinking to charge straight through it. Nothing could compare to the shock and pain he felt from the forcible jolt that ran through his body. Too late he realized his mistake and try as he might to stop nothing would be enough. The momentum carried him forward into the wall of sadistic energy and it tore away at his flesh and bone alike.

The last thing anyone heard of him was a blood choked scream that cut mercifully short.

She crouched on a roof top a few hundred feet away from the strange bubble of force. The demon was there, there was no doubt about it at all. She had banished or slain more than her fare share of his kind in her short lifetime. This would likely turn out no different, but she hoped she would at least get a little information out of this one before he turned on her. Sighing and casting a glance at the grinning face of the moon, she stood and stretched her legs. She never like dealing with ones this powerful, they were always so cocky. But the seer had said the one that could lead to the end of her quest would be here tonight, and there was definitely someone there.

Just as she had set her mind to finally intervene with what ever diabolical scheme this demon was hatching, a sudden crack and a brilliant light burst forth from the enshrouded building. She shielded her eyes against the brightness and watched the lightning bolt climb high into the sky before dissipating.

"Great," she muttered to herself, "This is gonna be fun." She scooped up a sheathed sword that had been laying by her side and strapped it securely around her waist then rested her hand upon it's hilt. A sudden wave of calm and assurance washed over her and she closed her eyes and smiled slightly, enjoying the familiar feeling. Reassured by the confidence of her life long friend, she stepped along the roof tops and leaped out over the expanses that separated her from her destiny. Just as she neared, she heard the scream and watched in disgust as a fleshless, blood soaked skeleton fell through the crackling barrier of energy.

"Demon," she growled, "this ends now." She gripped the hilt of her sword and drew it. She felt the surge of excitement run through it and into her finger tips as its highly polished blade flashed into view, catching every light and throwing it back a hundred times brighter. It almost seemed to glow in the moon light, promising death to any darkness. With her face set to a stoic frown, she pointed her blade to the crackling wall and steeled her self against the battle of wills that was soon to come.