Raven had the strength and power enough to levitate again; she flew over the parking lot.
Hate stood on the ground, flapping her wings wildly and snapping at the sky.
Beyond, Sorrow stood between the giant demon-bird and Starfire.
{I WILL REND YOUR SOULS!}
{Oh, shut up.}
Raven looked at Hate's eyes. The lower ones remained blood red, but the upper ones had changed.
They were orange.
Apathy!?
{Yeah.} Humor landed on her shoulder. {Neat trick!}
{I WILL KILL YOU ALL!}
{No I won't.}
{I WILL--}
{This is pointless!}
All around, police officers were taking positions.
"Hold your fire!" Raven called out.
{I hate this!} Hate thrashed her head in fury.
{Big surprise} Apathy grumbled.
{Starfire--}
{Saved Cyborg's butt.}
{Cyborg--}
{Did Dr. Light a favor.}
{Dr. Light--}
{Tried to kill me? SO WHAT!} Apathy's set of eyes blazed. {Even if I kill him THERE'S ALWAYS ANOTHER COSTUMED SUPERVILLAIN NUT TO TAKE HIS PLACE!! It never ends—GET IT?! So: GET OVER IT!!!}
{Nnnnooooo!}
Hate's form blurred, then split.
Where there had been one gargantuan raven with four eyes, there stood two equally large birds: one with two pairs of red eyes and one with a single orange pair.
Hate hissed. {I'll tear you apart for that!}
{Whatever.} Apathy's feathers fluffed in defiance, but she backed away cautiously.
Hate snapped at her.
Starbolts and a sonic blast split the air between them.
Apathy widened the distance, then looked up at Raven.
{I'm done here. Take me back.}
Humor flew off as Raven landed.
She placed her hand on Apathy's lowered head.
{You lead—just tell me where to go, already...}
I accept you.
---
She really just wanted to be left alone, so that she have some peace and quiet.
Unfortunately, she was surrounded by idiots.
It was a mystery to her why everyone felt the need to go somewhere. Sooner or later, Dr. light and his 'shadow' would turn up. Why bother wasting energy to find them? Why not save it for when it was needed most—like when they were bringing them down?
It didn't make sense; then again, a lot of things didn't make sense. Currently the top of the "senseless" list: Why had the Titans come up with the ridiculous idea of the bet to drag her out? Didn't they know she would figure it out sooner or later? She knew they were only looking out for her, trying to stop her from being a hermit cooped up in the tower.
They were paving the road to Hell in the process.
Beast Boy probably came up with it.
She shrugged it off and tried to relax, half listening to Cyborg argue the virtues of sports.
He might have big shoulders, but Cyborg really needed a set of shock absorbers…
---
Raven felt detached, like she was in a cocoon.
If Courage was her arsenal, Apathy was her armor.
{It doesn't matter. You can't use the power you have, without feeding it back to me.}
Raven opened her eyes. Hate watched her with eyes that glowed like embers from Hell.
{Make them stand aside--I promise to make the kill swift.}
No—and I don't have to use power directly on you, Hate. She summoned her powers and reached out for a vinyl movie banner on the wall…
{I know you thoughts—I can predict your moves. But you can't predict MINE!} Hate sprang to the side, her talons extended, at a police officer who was just a little too close…
{NO!} Sorrow wailed.
A black streak entered Hate's chest, followed by Robin's boot.
The demon bird's trajectory changed; it missed the man by inches. Beyond him, it fell on its side and fought to stand. Robin jumped clear.
Cyborg, Starfire and every officer with a clear shot opened up.
Raven watched in horror as the creature that was her hate and sorrow combined writhed in pain. It opened its wings and threw its head to the sky.
It sang.
The single, pure note pierced Raven's soul. All the pain and sadness that she'd ever felt resonated in that beautiful, haunting sound. The barrage decreased as officers dropped their pulse rifles and clutched their helmeted heads.
This must be what a phoenix sounds like as it dies.
Raven heard a low moan and realized she was trying to echo the song. Her eyes were stinging with tears.
The note faded into the night as the soulbird crumpled on itself.
A tiny black shape leaped skyward, unnoticed by the attackers.
Without thinking, Raven threw a shield up around the fallen giant and ran.
The shooting had stopped by the time she reached the body.
Sorrow lay on her chest, gasping for breath.
Raven lifted Sorrow's head to her lap.
{Couldn't stop her…I could only hold us…in place…}
You did more than enough.
{I'm so sorry…}
I know. Rest now.
{…Hurts so much…} One brown eye regarded her. {You are sure I can't die?}
You are a part of me. Only I could destroy you.
{…But I was merged with Hate…She pushed her wounds… into me…}
Prickles of doubt and panic touched Raven's insides.
{…Don't want to hurt anyone anymore…}
Come back to me.
{… It might be best--}
You are my conscience. Your passing would leave a void that would eventually consume me.
The giant heaved a gurgled sigh.
{…Hurt you…either… way…}
Sorrow?
Raven pressed her forehead to the massive soulbird's skull.
SORROW!?
A thought echoed from far away in the darkness.
{…I…sub…mit…}
"I accept you", she whispered hoarsely.
---
She stared up at Starfire's towering fury. "Get away from her, you warnacks!"
She wasn't sure what a "warnack" was, but it probably wasn't something nice.
She looked at Raven.
It was jarring. She was Raven.
Yet she was also a part of the semi-conscious girl curled up before her, laboring to draw the next breath.
The Other with gray eyes was crying, and tried again to get closer; Starfire's energy blast sent the pitiable creature scuttling back.
{Why? I thought you were my friend Starfire!} Gray Eyes whimpered.
Right now she thinks we're wild animals.
{Please stop—I only want to get to her!}
The eyes of Raven-the-girl slowly opened.
{Please make her stop! She won't let me near you, and I only wanted…no one likes me…} Gray Eyes pleaded.
She could see confusion in Raven's blue eyes.
Starfire is protecting you from us. She thinks we're going to hurt you.
{Why, Sorrow?}
Hate attacked Dr. Light. When Cyborg interfered, she turned on him. The others have tried to help, but the Titans don't understand. They think we're all on the attack.
She watched her humanoid self look around, then up at Starfire. The girl tried to speak then winced.
"Foul creatures!" Starfire growled. "You will not hurt my friend!"
Ouch.
But she couldn't deny the truth. She hurt herself, just as she hurt everyone who came close to her.
Raven-the-Girl reached up and touched Starfire's hand.
"Raven! You are recovering? That is a relief. These birds—"
She watched Raven's hand fall back to the ground and make coaxing movements to her and Grey Eyes.
"—Raven! What are you doing?"
{I'm letting actions speak louder than words, Starfire.}
Gray Eyes was too petrified to move.
She looked into her own deep blue eyes.
{It's up to you then.}
She shook her feathers into place to make herself as unthreatening as possible, then one step at a time crossed the distance. She kept her eyes locked on the outstretched fingers.
If she was to be struck down she didn't want to see it coming.
Deep down she knew she deserved to be, for all the pain and grief she'd caused.
She was almost surprised when she reached the hand without being attacked.
She turned to look at Starfire, then pushed her head against the cool fingertips.
---
Raven blinked away potential tears. Outside, Sorrow had left no traces of existence. Inside, Raven could feel the song. She ached to give it voice, but swallowed it back. The note diminished as it sank deeper into her, until it was too deep to hear.
But always there.
How long she knelt holding her arms, she didn't know.
So quiet…
She looked up.
Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy surrounded her.
It seemed like the eyes of the entire city were on her.
Slowly she stood up and looked around unsure what to do—what to say to all these people…
"We came, we saw, we kicked butt!" Beast Boy shouted.
The crowd cheered. He beamed in pleasure, soaking in the accolades.
Raven took an involuntary step back.
Don't they understand? The threat was me…
She backed into Cyborg. He placed a hand on her back, waved and whispered, "to them, you just beat the Boogeyman. Let 'em keep it, Raven."
Doesn't anyone realize it isn't over?
Cyborg's communicator chimed. He touched the screen and read something, then leaned into her.
"Robin wants you to meet him in the alley on the far side—He's got Hate." He then straightened and shouted out to the crowd. "As much as we'd love to hang out with y'all, duty calls."
Beast Boy added, "Hey--why not take in a movie! I mean, just because we've got to go…"
"Teen Titans—" Cyborg bellowed.
The crowd let out a thunderous, "GO!"
Cyborg and Beast Boy charged through the parting throng and into the night, Starfire trailing in the air above.
Raven noted that they were heading away from the alley, not toward it.
She summoned her power and opened a shadowgate in the ground, then sank in.
She emerged from the portal's terminus in the alley.
"You got the message. Good." Robin's attention never left a small shadow on the ground.
He pointed at it with his battle staff.
Four red eyes pulsed in the darkness.
Hate was no bigger now than any other of the soulbirds. She hissed as Raven stepped closer.
She turned her body, but not before Raven caught a glimpse of the torn and limp wing.
Humor snickered from her garbage can perch. {She tried to hide out here and a cat got her. Instant Karma--gotta love it!}
"Now what?" Robin asked quietly.
"She has two options—"
{Three, if you include being cat food...}
Hate shot Humor a dirty look. {So I'm not the only evil one, then.}
"—One: she can submit to me quietly."
{Never.} Hate snapped her beak at them in defiance.
I knew it wouldn't work.
{It wouldn't work, because you can't find it in yourself to accept me.}
No, Raven admitted, I can't. So…
"Two: I bind her, then force her back."
Robin looked at her. "There's no other way?"
Humor cocked her head to one side. {We could pour water on her and see if she melts.}
"No", Raven answered both.
{…Or tickle her and see if laughing makes her explode!}
Humor…
Raven gathered her powers. In her mind, she wove them into the pattern of the most powerful Binding she could make.
Hate stood as tall and defiant as she could.
{I hate you.}
I know.
"Azarath Metrion Zinthos."
Black tendrils of power arched from her hands and stuck Hate.
The soulbird writhed as she rose into the air. She began to expand…
Then dissolved into the bindings.
Raven braced herself…
---
I am Death; the Destroyer of Worlds. .
I am the offspring of Evil Incarnate.
I am the Source of Power.
I am the True One; my humanity is but a cloak that I wear.
I am the Dragon sleeping lightly in the Dark.
I shall not be bound forever.
It is my Destiny.
I am Raven.
And my madness will not be denied.
---
No.
Among other things, you are the Weaver, who places truths in your weave and calls the whole "Truth".
I may be the "offspring", but I have no destiny beyond the one I chart for myself.
You may be the 'Source", but I am the one that channels you.
You are the falconer's hawk: dangerous even to the master, but trained to the glove and calmed by the hood.
Sleep now, Hate.
I am Raven.
And I command you.
Raven felt every nerve on edge. She unclenched her fists, and willed her tense muscles to relax.
She opened her eyes. Robin stood close enough to catch her, but far enough to give her "personal space". He watched her, his face and posture unreadable.
"Are you all right?" He asked gently.
Depends on your definition of "all right".
She rubbed away the last of the phantom pain from the cat attack. "It's over."
"That wasn't the question."
"I'll recover after some rest and meditation."
Robin nodded. "Think you can go a couple of blocks? I suggested to Cyborg that he bring in the T-Car remotely, but we're still too close to the Polyplex for him to pick us up."
"I can walk back—"
"Of course you can", he said smoothly, "but I doubt you want to deal with the Public right now."
"Good point."
She turned to Humor.
Ready to return?
{A couple more minutes, 'kay? I'll meet you at the car.}
The last of the soulbirds jumped off her perch and into the night.
Watch out for cats…
{Ooh-- a comedian!}
"Lead the way Robin."
"Where's she off to?" he asked as they walked.
"She didn't say."
"You don't know?"
Raven shrugged. "I'm not worried. She doesn't get out much--she won't cause trouble."
…Much trouble, anyway.
"May I ask you a personal question?"
"You can ask anything, Robin. I can't guarantee I'll answer it…"
He gave her a lop-sided grin, then became serious again.
"The raven that represented your anger. It had four red eyes."
Raven said nothing. She kept walking.
"My knowledge and lore of the occult may not be as vast as yours, but I'm aware of a cult that worships a demon with four eyes. The demon's called--."
"Trigon. My father."
She didn't look at Robin.
There was an awkward silence before he spoke again. "…Were you…trained…?"
"No", she said quickly, then gave him the basics of her mother's rescue and her childhood in Azarath.
"I see. Who else knows?"
Raven winced.
"I'm last to know?"
"Cyborg and Beast Boy accidentally discovered what father looks like the last time we faced Dr. Light. And when the Puppet King switched Starfire and I…I had to tell her."
"Don't worry about it."
"I—"
He shook his head. "You're not the first person I've met who valued privacy. Just remember that you've got something that's equally valuable: friends. We'll stick by you no matter what."
"I'll remember." Friends; in spite of all the insanity I've put everyone through tonight.
Then again…
"So Robin, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Do you often use your rooks so aggressively, or do you like to beat a raven with a raven?"
Now it was his turn to cringe. "Um…When did you figure it out?"
"Just before Dr. Light showed up. And before you start," she continued, "I think I understand why. But in the future--if you and the others must drag me out, and won't take 'No' for an answer—"
"Ask you instead?"
Raven shook her head and took off her hood. She wanted him to see she wasn't angry.
"Make the chess challenge yourself. That way I'll know I haven't got a chance—and I can lose gracefully."
Robin smiled. "I dunno—the first win was a freebie, but you definitely brought your game up fast. A couple more 'challenges'--especially when you know you're real challenger, and you might give me a run for my money. You're not bad!"
"Thanks. By the way, I have a message for you…"