OK --- Despite a really crappy name, this chapter kinda goes into Raven's past. You've been warned.

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Chapter 11:- Crouching Monster, Hidden Past

Raven gently lay Gar down on the stretcher again, and checked his forehead. He was blistering hot, beads of sweat were trickling down his face. She might be able to reduce the fever with her magic, but there was no way she could cure the disease, or even stop the major symptoms from occurring. She couldn't do anything. This had become his fight to win.

She thought for a moment, then decided and repeated her magic words. The stretcher floated into the air and followed her obediently as she flew through the air. Soon they came to the abandoned tool shed outside the back of school. No-one had used it for years because a better one had been made out front.

She landed in front of the shed and unlocked the door using magic, she opened it the old fashioned way and summoned the stretcher inside. Realizing that dawn was breaking, she closed the door and locked it again and hoped no-one saw them coming in.

Gar moaned softly.

"Gar. You awake?"

Gar nodded.

"I've brought you to the old school shed. No-one will think to look for you here."

"What if they do?"

"They won't get far," said Raven, her eyes faintly glowing red.

"How could you do that Rae?"

"Do what?"

"All those… things you did."

She walked over to him and sat down next to where he lay, as he sat up next to her. "It's a long and depressing story. Are you sure you want to hear it?"

Gar nodded.

"Well. I better start at the beginning. There was… is… a demon named Trigon. He was considered to be one of the most powerful residents of the demon world. So powerful, that a church was founded upon the worship of him. It was called the Church Of Blood, and it was led by the deadly Brother Blood. There was another rank in this church known as Mother Mayhem. My mother was the first Mother Mayhem.

"Soon, in one of the church's ritual, my mother called upon the presence of Trigon himself, supposedly summoned to plant his seed of destruction in the world. My mother was deceived however, and after unwillingly finding… intimacy with Trigon, she became pregnant with his child."

Gar gasped. "You're the daughter of a demon?"

Raven nodded. "Soon after the event my mother fled the Church Of Blood, she wandered the worlds for eight months, until she was by one of the Forces Of Azar, a group of soldiers and magicians from Azarath. She was taken in, forgiven for her sins, and she gave birth to me in the peaceful land of Azarath. I was named Raven, for the bird was said to be 'a misunderstood dove hidden within a harsh exterior'.

"Aware of my need to protect myself, the Forces Of Azar had me trained in many forms of magic from an early age. But, due to demonic heritage, I could not use many forms of the magic, such as holy magic - the most common form, I was however considered incredibly proficient with black magic."

She lifted her hand and summoned the magic. It clung to her hands like electricity, and the air fizzed around it.

Raven continued, "Somehow, the Church Of Blood discovered my mother's whereabouts. On my thirteenth birthday, Azarath was attacked, not only by the forces of Blood, but by Trigon himself.

"Trigon attacked us first, my mother tried to protect me with her crude forms of magic, but she failed and was instantly killed by Trigon. He attacked me, I tried to protect myself, but he was so strong, my magic was defeated in seconds. But fortunately, twenty elder members of the Forces Of Azar, with their powerful magic, rescued me and destroyed Trigon - but everyone of them perished in that battle. That is how powerful Trigon is.

"I escaped to Earth, but I discovered that when Trigon died, he sent his soul-self into me. I had to wrestle him in the corridors of my own mind to keep control of myself. I found whenever I felt powerful emotion, anger in particular, he could take over."

"So that's why you never smile…"

Raven nodded. "If I remain without emotion, I remain in control and Trigon stays in here." She tapped her head twice.

"The high-security prison…"

Raven nodded.

"I'm sorry, Rae. Compared to your life… Mine doesn't seem all that bad. But you better get to class."

Raven nodded and got up.

"Thank you for listening Gar."

"Thank you for saving my life."

"I owed you for the Rancid thing."

"This is a little bigger than that."

"Black magic is a little bigger than a ball of spit."

Gar smiled, then suddenly his eyes widened in pain, and he reached up and grabbed his head, ruffling up his green hair.

"Gar what's wrong?"

Gar groaned and yelled. Raven stood in shock as she saw his entire skin wriggle, like a thousand worms crawled underneath the surface.

"Gar?"

Gar continued to groan and yell in pain, as hair sprouted out from his skin. His hands became paws, his teeth and ears lengthened, he grew a tail.

"What's… happening… to… ?" Gar groaned, but his sentence was cut short as his voice turned into a ferocious roar.

Raven took a step backward. "Gar?" The green tiger that stood where Gar had moments before nodded his massive feline head and looked at its paw.

"I think I better skip class today," she added.

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Alright… Chap.11 complete. I know this one went on about Raven's past a lot, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless. Next:- The Secrets Of Static (Don't worry --- Static Shock won't come into it. I hate that guy.)