Of Shadow and Flame
Chapter 3: Glimmer
Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans. I don't even have a share in Warner Brother's or DC Comic's stock, so don't sue me if something shows up here that unintentionally matches the comics, or somebody else's ideas. Also, the whole real scenario here is mine, as well as all the new characters I bring in.
Pay attention! Read carefully! This one should give you an idea of the setup for the rest of the fic, and probably the others in the series. Constructive criticism still appreciated.
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"Not him!" Someone yelled as he, and most of the other gang members fled from the alleyway. Their leader stood there dumbly staring in disbelief.
Raven turned about in time to see a black gloved hand swat one of the Hispanic men into the wall and the other man into the ground with a sharp crack. The huge brown cloak wrapped around the man hid everything but his cold, pupil-less green eyes. Raven shivered at the look of utter contempt in those eyes, and for just a moment, she was terrified that he was looking at her like that.
He took three, slow, soundless steps towards Raven and the leader of the gang, his eyes never leaving the unfortunate man. The cloak was waving in a wind that didn't exist.
"Run," the brown-cloaked man's voice was cold, hateful, and above all, inhuman. The leader screamed and scrambled for the end of the alley, falling over himself several times in his haste. Falchion was standing no more than a foot to Raven's right, but she couldn't turn to look at him; her body refused to move.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was just as icy with Raven as with the gang. Raven shook her head slightly, shivering.
"Good," his voice softened. He reached out a hand and threw back his cowl. Raven stared in amazement as Falchion rubbed his neck and smiled at her.
"You...did that?" Raven asked, indicating the two men lying on the ground. Her brain couldn't quite grasp what was happening, but it was trying very hard.
"Oh, don't worry, they're not dead...I don't think so, at least," Falchion said with a nervous laugh. "Anyway, sorry about disappearing on you the other day. Something personal came up."
"You...when...how?" Raven asked, stunned. She let her hands go limp and stared in amazement at Falchion. Falchion raised an eyebrow, put his head to the side and gave Raven a quizzical look.
"Maybe I should explain over lunch. I haven't eaten since I left!" Falchion said, grasping his stomach in mock pain and smiling nervously. Raven snapped back to her senses at that. After all, most men considered sharing a meal a date.
"No, I don't want to intrude. Besides, I have something else to do....," Raven explained hurriedly, but her brain was having trouble coming up with a believable story. It always seemed to happen when she looked at those green eyes of his.
"I'm afraid I must insist. You've gotten much too thin in the last three days," Falchion said, straightening up and smiling. "Besides, I enjoy cooking for other people."
Falchion turned and strode towards the shop in a rustle of thick brown cloak.
"But I...," Raven tried to say, but he paid no attention. Raven shifted uncertainly, torn between running or following him. Her stomach growled about then, and with a small groan, Raven hurried after Falchion.
He was already in his back room by the time Raven got through the door.
"It'll only take a few minutes! Would you mind getting out the second stool while you wait?" Falchion called from behind his strange door. "Thanks!"
Raven sighed and walked around the counter. The second stool was remarkably hard to get loose from the counter; someone much stronger than Raven had shoved in place and had intended for it to stay there. Falchion was coming out of the backroom with a huge steaming platter full of food by the time Raven got the stool free.
"This is all I could fix up quickly. It isn't much, but it'll do," Falchion said, setting the platter down on the counter and flopping onto the stool Raven had just taken five minutes getting loose.
There was a huge plateful of rice, a mass of stir-fried vegetables, some of which Raven hadn't even tried before, and two large pieces of chicken soaking in a strong, spicy sauce.
"Thank you, but I really feel like this is all too much. I'm intruding..." Raven said, shaking her head and edging towards the end of the counter.
"Nonsense! This is a small mid-afternoon snack!" Falchion said confidently, dishing out generous quantities of the rice and vegetables onto a plate for Raven. "It'd be a waste for you not to eat it. There's too much for just one person."
Raven hung her head and took the plate. She sat down and skewered a piece of carrot with her fork, glancing nervously at Falchion. He was watching her like a hawk and hadn't touched his own food. He had a horribly anxious look on his face, like eating was of the utmost gravity.
Raven bit into the carrot. Flavors spread through her mouth instantly, many of which she'd never even imagined and all of them delightful. Raven chewed with a slight grin and took another bite quickly. And he made all of this in five minutes?
Falchion released his tension with a sigh and started to eat, looking elegant despite the remarkable rate at which the food vanished. He finished off his long before Raven and was halfway through a steaming cup of tea by the time Raven was done.
"Good?" Falchion said with a half smile.
"Wonderful! I've never eaten anything that tasted so good!" Raven said happily. Falchion handed her a cup of tea his smile broadening.
"It's always gratifying to a chef when his food is appreciated," Falchion said, pulling his legs up Indian style. "So, how were things while I was gone?"
"Oh," Raven said, halfway to taking a sip of her tea. "There was a message left for you earlier." Raven turned on the stool and scooped the note off the counter. Falchion took it from her, read it, and tossed it in the trash.
"Don't worry about it. I'm not going anywhere for a few days. I'll take care of it," Falchion said standing up. "So, how do you like the book?"
"What?" Raven asked, surprised. Then she remembered the book sitting behind her with several pieces of paper sticking out of it, marking interesting pages.
"Oh, that book," Raven said guiltily. "Look, I'm sorry I read it without your permission...."
"No, no, I never said you couldn't! Just tell me what you thought about it!" Falchion said apologetically, waving his arms around in irritation.
"Well...it reminded me of my past, and my friends," Raven said, searching her mind for anything better to say. "But I couldn't understand much of the meaning behind the poems themselves."
"I wouldn't expect you to. These poems are some three thousand years old, and the only record of the golden age that still exists," Falchion said, hopping off the stool and snatching the book off of the counter. "The age is aptly named, at least from what I know. I'd be happy to clarify a few things for you whenever I have the time."
He set the book back on the counter and scooped up the dishes. Raven put a hand on the immense tome and watched Falchion stroll into his backroom. He reappeared a moment later with a pile of scrolls and set them on the counter.
"This is the order from earlier, if you were wondering. You'd be amazed how many gang members use these," Falchion said, quickly sorting the scrolls into piles. "These are sleep scrolls, those are luck charms, these are speed charms, and these little beauties, are invisibility tokens."
"What are they using them for? And why would you sell something like that to gangsters?" Raven asked, already fairly certain for the reason behind the transactions.
"Oh, getaways, keeping the nightmares away, stuff like that. I make these special because these also make it much more unlikely for them to shoot people or get shot by them," Falchion said, pulling a stray lock of hair out of his face. "As for why I deal with them, it's mostly so they'll leave me alone, but of course there's the fact that the death rate is down eighty-percent since I started selling these."
"That many of them use those scrolls?" Raven asked in astonishment. The little pieces of paper didn't look like anything special at all, but then again, Raven couldn't recognize any of the writing on them. She'd picked up a little of the meaning of one or two characters, but it was still impossible to tell if they were real.
"Oh yes, they certainly do. I understand that they're standard equipment now," Falchion said, leaning back. He looked quite pleased with himself.
"With good reason," Raven mumbled to herself as she looked away. His eyes were making her feel odd again.
"Hmm, it's nearly two. I suppose you can go home now, if you'd like," Falchion said, glancing at the clock. Of course it didn't look anything like a clock; it was jet black with long silvery wisps of what looked distinctly like cobweb pointing to completely unintelligible symbols around the outside of the clock. The cobwebs had the annoying tendency to move the instant Raven looked away, but they were perfectly still when she looked at them. It was both infuriating and disturbing, a combination Raven wasn't accustomed to.
"I'd rather stay here, if you don't mind. There isn't much to do in my apartment," Raven said dully.
"And I thought you were the type that likes to be alone," Falchion said with a smirk. "Then again, you could just be after my books."
"No, I...," Raven closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't want to be alone."
Falchion raised an eyebrow and folded his arms.
"Do whatever you want, just as long as you're here on time tomorrow," Falchion said, dismissing her. He stepped behind the counter with a deceptively clumsy movement. Raven's brain took its cue and woke up.
"Hey, how did you beat those guys, anyway?" Raven asked, turning around to look at Falchion. He froze and turned his cold eyes back on her.
"I studied martial arts for a few years and use the scrolls to intimidate my enemies. That is all," Falchion said coldly. Raven swallowed hard as those eyes bore into her. It suddenly seemed to her that his reasoning was entirely sound; if the scrolls really worked, of course he could scare those people away.
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Raven dreamed of eyes.
His impossibly green eyes chased her through the city, down the corridors of Titan Tower, through the endless passages of an immense palace made of crystal. His eyes loomed ever closer, he was everywhere, but where Raven looked. She felt him stalking her, hunting her, always just out of sight, only just behind her. She was powerless, helpless, friendless, and desperate. She had to get away, to anywhere, to anyone.
Four red eyes loomed up in front of Raven.
Raven's eyes snapped open and she sat up panting. Her body was covered in sweat and she felt like she really had been running for her life from someone. She slipped out of bed and stumbled across her small apartment. She still wasn't used to having to use her eyes to see.
Raven's heart skipped a beat when she saw something black looming up next to her before she realized it was only her own cloak. She hurriedly flipped on the lights, swallowing.
Her apartment was empty. It was unreasonable, foolish of her to think anyone was there; she would have bumped into them in the little room.
Raven sat down on the bed and started meditating. Her mind was confused. She liked Falchion generally, but those eyes of his, and the way he had swatted two full grown men like insects, was troubling. Trusting him was out of the question, even if so far he'd done nothing but help her. She kept feeling like he was hemming her in somehow, like a hunter leading his prey into a trap.
Raven sighed and flopped back on her bed.
"What's wrong with me? I shouldn't even be worried about that dream. I'll be leaving as soon as the quarantine ends, anyways," Raven argued.
Raven started awake a moment before her alarm went off. She slammed the annoying thing off halfway through its first ring and got up. To Raven, there wasn't any point in sleeping if you didn't notice you were sleeping.
She got dressed, ignored the leftovers of dinner and headed for the shop. At least there, there was something to do, and someone to talk to. Perhaps he could explain her dream, but then why would he know of her father's four eyes?
"Ah!" Falchion said, springing up from his perch on the edge of the stool. "Just who I needed! Help me get this working. I can't figure out the accounting system."
Raven looked from Falchion to the laptop, to the large antique book next to it, and back again. She suppressed a sigh and slipped behind the counter.
Raven was almost finished with the program, which Falchion had neglected to register or update, when the bell clanged.
Raven looked up in irritation and wiped the grimace off her face immediately. Four men, obviously part of a successful crime syndicate, strode into the shop. Three of them were white men dressed in smart black suits and sunglasses; the forth was an unusually tall Native American with long, braided brown hair and transparent red sunglasses with platinum edging, which didn't even tint his bright blue eyes. He was dressed in a long brown trench coat with a grey suit and a huge platinum necklace that looked like a pendulum with wings, and knee-high, black, likely armored, boots. He hadn't bothered to tuck in his shirt or button up his coat or vest. He walked preceded slightly by his hips with his hands dug into his pockets, flashing a broad smile. He did a good job hiding the two guns under his coat, what with the disarming smile and that odd walk of his.
All in all, he looked distinctly like a well-dressed slob.
"It's been what, four weeks? Hey, man, when are you inviting me over for lunch again like you said?" he said, smiling broadly. He looked quite sure of himself as he extended a hand, but he was sweating with anxiety.
"It's only been three weeks, actually, Glasses," Falchion said shaking his hand gently. "But you still wouldn't have met Fiona. She's my new employee."
"Well, nice to meet you, lady! It's not everyday I meet a pretty girl like you around here!" he said, breathing visible garlic fumes flooding over Raven's face. Raven suppressed a cough and ignored his broad smile. His eyes flicked down, taking in Raven's figure, and back up to her face. Raven hated him already, and left his hand hanging when he extended it.
Glasses shrugged and gave Raven a sideways nod and a shrug, clearly saying it was her loss.
Falchion slammed the pile of scrolls down on the counter between them, forcing out a small, quivering smile. His eyes were shut, several veins were popping out on his forehead, and his left eye was twitching. Glasses took the hint.
"Get those for me, boys. Usual price, bro?" Glasses said amiably, smiling as he whipped out a thick pad of hundred dollar bills.
"Probably," Falchion said dully.
Glasses tossed the money down on the counter, smiling, and stepped back.
"I'll be back next month for another batch. Watch yourselves till then," Glasses said over his shoulder as he walked for the door. "Especially you, pretty girl."
The doorbell clanged as the four men left the shop.
"I don't like that man," Raven said the instant they were out of earshot.
"I don't particularly like him either...but he's not all bad. At least I can stand a short conversation with him," Falchion said as he picked up the pocketbook and stuck it under the counter. "It doesn't really matter, he's just a customer as far as I'm concerned."
Raven shook her head and turned back to the laptop. The program was finished though, so the laptop wasn't an excuse. Raven shut it off and pulled down the nearest book, well aware of Falchion's eyes on her.
"Well, I think I'll go out for a bit. I've a few errands to run," Falchion said suddenly, hopping up. "What would you like me to cook for lunch?"
Raven stared at him for a moment, trying to decide if it was merely professional courtesy. It seemed normal enough.
"I don't have any preferences," Raven said, turning back to her book. It was a documentary of animals, none of which she'd ever heard of. Even Beast Boy had never changed into any of the bizarre creatures that the book so thoroughly described.
"Oh. Well, I'll be back in an hour or so, then," Falchion said as he strode across the shop and shoved the door open.
"Bye," Raven said absentmindedly. The book was much more intriguing than Falchion's activities, provided Raven wasn't the object of his interest.
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"What the hell is Raven doing in your shop?" Glasses yelled, slamming his hand into the car door.
"Control your temper. I'm just keeping an eye on her. She's actually why I'm here," Falchion said coldly. The two were sitting in the back of a large black limousine with heavily armed men guarding it. Falchion had his legs crossed with his fingers laced, resting on his uppermost knee. Glasses was sprawled indignantly on the opposite seat, both guns openly displayed.
"What, planning on selling her out? I'll be more than happy to kill that half-demon bitch!" Glasses said, slumping back with a hand on each of his guns.
"I know how you feel about demons, and there's little worse than losing your parents to them," Falchion said, leaning towards Glasses, eyes glowing. "But you must understand that Raven has blocked their progress at every turn."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. But that doesn't change what she is," Glasses sighed, leaning back and shaking his head. "She's His daughter. You don't make friends with someone in that family."
"I don't intend to, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm protecting her, and as you know my line of work keeps me away quite often, so...," Falchion said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pair of small gems. "I need you to look after her when I'm away."
"What? No way! I'll kill myself first!" Glasses said, waving his arms about frantically, already aware that he wasn't going to get out of it.
"These crystals are made of pure positive energy. Mount them on your guns, and exterminating demons will get much easier," Falchion said, setting them on the seat. "You will, agree, won't you?"
"Man," Glasses lowered his hands. "You know I already have!"
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Author's Note: Well, that's chapter three. Sorry it took so long to update, but I've been a little busy with school. And don't complain about language-it's not that bad.
Character Talk
Glasses: Hey, what'd ya know, I'm in an Anime!
Me: Fanfic.
Falchion: It's an anime from our perspective.
Guy in a black coat: I'll say.
Raven: Who's he?
Me: Oh, don't worry. You'll find out.
Guy in a black coat: I'm your...
Falchion: Shut up!
Glasses: Don't finish that sentence! The readers are listening!
Raven: Well, since Falchion's occupied...next episode, Truth! I'll finally find out what's really going on!
Me: Ha, you wish!