Shadow on the Wall
Chapter 4: Fear the Reaper.
Came the last night of sadness
And it was clear that she couldn't go on
And the door was open and the wind appeared
The candles blew and then disappeared
The curtains flew and then he appeared
The thing on the ground is a girl, a girl unlike any I have ever seen. Her hair is long, and bright fiery red. Her clothes are odd, but strangest of all, her skin is…orange. Very Odd, but that doesn't matter to me. She has not yet moved, for as long as I have watched her. Around her head a pool of blood has formed, soaking into her hair and making it shimmer in the moonlight. Perhaps I should leave her to die…the time for her to cross over may very well be approaching. I kneel down on the ground next to her still body and place my hand on her forehead. I can feel the warmth of life still emanating from her skin. Her breathing is short, but steady. She may survive, but I do not have the time to dawdle and find out. I begin to stand, but something stops me. Kneeling back down, I move my hand so that it hovers over her heart and I close my eyes in concentration. A streak of pure white flashes in my mind and my eyes fly back open in shock. I have never found one with a soul as good and pure as the one that resides in this young girl. I cannot allow one such as this to suffer on these dank streets amongst the filth that inhabit them. She is lucky, for her time has not come. With one motion, I heft the young girl from the ground and place her over my shoulder. Before I can escape in the shadows, a voice halts me…
"Put her down!"
---
"I said put her down!" Beast Boy shouted again, louder than the first time. During the fight, he had noticed Starfire flying off in pursuit of a bunch of Slade's robots. Without thinking twice, he followed after her. By the time he reached the rear of the massive warehouse, all he found was a pile of destroyed robots, and an unconscious Starfire in the arms of something out of his nightmares. Whoever, or whatever this things was, it looked like it could give Raven a severe case of the chills.
"The girl is with me now, green one. This does not concern you." The monster said, in the type of voice one expects to hear in a graveyard. It turned and started to calmly walk down one of the darkened side streets. There was no thought in Beast Boy's mind that he could handle this thing on this own, but he was sure as hell gonna try. Morphing into a tiger, Beast Boy charged the escaping nightmare at full speed. Just as he was about to sink his claws into the fiend's back, it whipped around faster than he could react and caught him around the neck with one hand. His grip was as tight as steel, and as cold as ice. Beast Boy would have tried transforming again, but found himself utterly paralyzed. Even at this close distance, Beast Boy could not get a clear look at the face of his attacker; it was hidden deep within its clothes and blanketed in shadows. In fact, he was kinda glad he couldn't get a clear look at him.
"Not a wise decision, but I have more important matters to deal with." With ease, the thing hurled Beast Boy back into the empty lot, sending him flying through the air and into a pile of garbage. Beast Boy stared in awe as the nightmare formed a massive black scythe out of thin air and slashed at the building next to him. It appeared to have no effect, until dust and a grinding noise filled the air. Within a matter of moments, the wall of the building collapsed, forming a barrier between Beast Boy and the nightmare, which proceeded to disappear into the shadows with Starfire still across his back. A familiar voice snapped him back in reality.
"Beast Boy! What happened, and where's Starfire?!"
---
Foolish boy, getting in my way like that. The girl has lost much blood, and I must hurry if I am to make it back to my home before the sun rises. As I make my way through the city, the identity of the pure one and the green boy become suddenly obvious. The one who attempted to attack me was the one called Beast Boy, and the girl must be the one called Starfire. Before today, I had never officially met any of the Teen Titans, only hearing about them via word of mouth during my nightly travels. The city embraces these youngsters, not only for what they do, but for what they stand for. They were idols to thousands of people, young and old. If there was trouble, the people of Jump City knew who to call. There were few places where you could go and totally get away from the influence of the Titans. I don't but believe that it's right for these children to be putting their lives on the line fighting corruption everyday, despite the success they've had in the past. I cannot ignore the courage that these young heroes display, especially considering the bravery Beast Boy showed in assaulting me earlier. Do these young men and women have any knowledge of pain? Of loss? Of death? Do they have what it takes to survive in a world full of evil that can't be combated with physical strength? What about the wounded girl on his shoulder? She lives in that tower, separated from the rest of the world along with her friends. Placed on a pedestal at such a young age must be a terrible thing. After what feels like hours of walking, I finally reach the entrance to my simple home. I walk in and lay the unconscious girl on the padding I use on my bed. I have much work to do.
---
"Tell us again what happened, Beast Boy." Robin asked, rubbing his aching temples in confusion. The Titans were still behind the warehouse, searching it high and low for any evidence of their missing teammate.
"Dude, I've told you three times already." Beast Boy groaned.
"We know you have, BB. It's just a little hard to swallow." Cyborg reasoned.
"Whatever. I ran back here to help Star, and by the time I got here, the robots were junked. And that was when I saw the Grim Reaper carry Starfire off. I tried to help, but there was nothing I could do." Raven had been silent throughout the entire ordeal, but hearing him repeat the name Grim Reaper over and over forced her to finally speak up.
"What do you mean "Grim Reaper"? She asked.
"How many Grim Reapers are there, Raven? Tall dude with pale skin wearing a long black coat with a black hat, wields a giant blade thingy, and talks like a ghost."
"Are you sure you weren't seeing things?"
"Totally sure. Come to think of it, I'm surprised you don't know him, he seem's like your type."
"Real funny Beast Boy." Raven said, sneering at Beast Boy and pulling her hood back over her head. "The Grim Reaper is the personification of death, I don't think you saw him carry off Starfire."
"Whatever it was that Beast Boy saw, it still has Starfire, and we have to find him if we want to find her. Move out Titans!"