Looks like people were sorta upset about the last chapter. Don't worry, peeps. This isn't a Beast Boy/Raven story.
I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long time. Don't know how long it'll take me to write this, especially while doing another writing assignment simultaneously, but I'll do the best I can to get this chapter up a little more quickly than usual.
Thanks for reviewing and being patient.
Enjoy.
Kree
When the entire city is yours, where do you choose to live? The tallest skyscrapers, the penthouses, an inconspicuous home on the outskirts of town? Malchior and Sagira would have made their base a castle, a sort of fort had they been in a time period Malchior was used to. No such palace of grandeur existed in Jump City, however, so they made do with whatever was there. On the western border of the city was a boulevard of luxury houses, each one large and comfortable compared to the standards of today. They settled in one of them, using it as a temporary hideout and a place for rejuvenation after battle.
It would be easy for the Titans to find them if they wished. Many Gostulings stood guard outside and inside the building. They would appear, to the Titans, to be guarding something or someone, and the creatures would not fail to keep them out or else let the Titans sneak up on them unnoticed. Malchior also held up a great mind barrier around the house so that Raven or any other could just teleport inside. However, they doubted the Titans would be looking for another fight in the night. Not after a morning to afternoon beating.
Malchior sat in one of the elaborate bedrooms, against the end of a canopy bed, a forest of jade cloth flowing around him. Although Sagira had protested, he had chosen an separate room from her, for his own privacy. Slightly flustered at his rejection, he said that he needed his solitary time to concentrate on his magic and to stay focused on the mission. After they were done with the world...
He fiddled with a small glass marble with his fingers, tossing it up levitation, eyeing the colorless bead as it pierced the air, over and over again. The door of his bedroom suddenly swung open, a golden haired sorceress coming through. Her beauty lit the dimly illuminated room but her aura quickly destroyed any of the light she possessed. She carried a staff in her hand, thudding softly on the ground as she approached him.
"It is time," she began, "for me to perform a spell of youth." Even in the darkness, she looked hesitant in her eyes. "I must go to the graveyard to collect some ingredients. However..." her voice trailed off.
"Yes?" Malchior raised an eyebrow.
"My bringing the staff there would attract unwanted spy spirits," she explained. "Though I placed many spells on it to protect my staff... I would feel much more comfortable if you could hold it for me instead."
"Of course, my lady," he slipped off the bed with a bow. "As long as you have none of your magic slaughtering me on the spot."
"Never, my dragon friend," she smiled as he took the staff from her. She turned around for the door, her dark blue cape flowering behind her in a breeze she created with her motion. Malchior, with the staff in one hand and a small colorless orb in the other, climbed back onto the enormous bed.
Sabingham: that's where the reports of a terrible dragon, a sorceress, and an army of ghosts had been coming from. The Titans and their new allies took the hint and headed that way early in the morning. They split up into small groups in order to take Malchior and Sagira by surprise when they attacked. Raven, book levitating in the folds of her cape, teamed up with Hot Spot and Mammoth. They went traveled to the outskirts of Sabingham and started tunneling underground, Raven using her powers, Hot Spot, blowing up the Rocks, and Mammoth making sure the dirt and rock did not collapse on them.
Beast Boy bolted through the seas as a shark with Aqualad and Gizmo in his own underwater vehicle that resembled a spider. In the air, Starfire and Bumblebee flew together. On land, Wildebeast (the car was adjusted to a convertible due to his size), Jinx, and Cyborg in the T-Car took the north approach Sabingham while Robin on his motorbike, Speedy on an additional bike, and the Mas Y Menos on, well, their feet, took the south. Hopefully, Malchior wouldn't be able to handle this many people in so many angles. The Titans were doubtful of this anyway, but they hoped to get a few hits at him so Raven could cast her curse.
There were also the Gostulings to deal with. They figured out before leaving that Aqualad with water, Hot Spot with fire, Robin, Mas Y Menos, and Beast Boy with paint would give the creatures some form. Meanwhile, Raven, Mammoth, Starfire, Bumblebee, Wildebeast, Jinx, Cyborg, Speedy, and Gizmo would attack the Gostulings with ease. "Strike Malchior a lot so he weakens," Raven encouraged. "I'm going to need as much help as possible to injure him."
Wildebeast, Cyborg, and Jinx stepped out of the car to face the black dragon and the enchanting sorceress first. Navigating through the rubble, crushed cars, and escaping people, he parked in the center of the street where their opponents stormed Sabingham. The three of them got out and stood in front of them confidently, repressing anxieties and second thoughts that haunted their heads.
The blonde haired woman and the beast stood level to them as they had been previously inspecting the city's banks. Sagira was surprised to see two new faces and the absence of four but Malchior snorted in amusement. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd bring me some new people to meet," Malchior boomed in a terrible voice.
"We've said our hellos but it's time to say goodbye," Cyborg charged up his cannon. "Don't miss me too much, honey," he aimed for the black dragon. Two pink discs formed in the witch's hand and Wildebeast prepared to rush out at their adversary.
But Starfire and Bumblebee struck him from behind with starbolts and laserbeams. He roared out in astonishment as the two girls flew around them. Sagira tried to blast Bumblebee with her staff but the Titan shrunk to her minuscule bee-like size and dodged it easily. The sorceress scowled at this imperfection and quickly turned to Malchior.
"The rest of the Titans will arrive soon. Shall we finish them off this time?" asked Sagira.
"Don't be ridiculous," Malchior scorned her. "They are no match for us. We keep them alive for our entertainment," he paused. "But I do insist that you confront the leaders of this city immediately."
"And what? Not stick around for this so called entertainment you speak of?"
"There shall be other times, love," the word was gruff coming out of the mouth of a dragon. "Now hurry. Before the other Titans arrive."
She hurried away, dissolving in the air, pouting like a child who was just denied a sugary treat. The group of teenagers wasted no time: Wildebeast ran up to him, charging with his horns ready to pierce through dragon skin. Malchior flicked him away with the blunt part of his claws but was immediately bombarded with Cyborg's cannon.
An earthquake disturbed the ground on which Malchior stood upon but before he realized what was happening, the street burst out into an explosion of rock, asphalt, and fire. From underneath the dragon, Raven, Hot Spot, and Mammoth emerged and attacked him from the bottom. He growled against in frustration as the fire skimmed by his scaled and as he was bombarded by sharp rocks below him. But with a defiant sort of expression, his red eyes lit up as he looked upon Raven, flashing her his fangs. "It's so nice to see you again, my dear."
"I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time," she gritted her teeth, using her powers to let part of a skyscraper rocket down towards him. He put up a shield to protect him from the debris, starbolts, and laserbeams coming from above but turned around just in time to see a tidal wave coming straight at him. Three figures rode these waters: Aqualad at the head, a giant green squid, and Gizmo inside his spiderlike transporter.
The wave crashed against the dragon but the creature held its ground and eventually flew up out of the waters. Aqualad commanded most of the water from the harbor to retreat but used some of it to elevate himself to where the dragon floated in the air. Beast Boy turned into a pterodactyl, scooping up Cyborg from the ground as Starfire picked up Wildebeast and carried him up. Jinx and Bumblebee shot at Malchior but he dodged everything they launched at him. He put up another shield, this time, one where he was comfortably positioned in the center of a violet orb.
But as he did, the Spanish speedsteers snuck through his defensive magic before it was enclosed completely around the dragon. They began to race around and around the orb, irritating the dragon with their blurred images and garbled Spanish. He got rid of the orb so that the Mas Y Menos fell into the levitation powers of Raven and also let Speedy shoot his arrows at the beast in the sky. Robin jumped up from the top of a building, swinging a rope around Malchior body. He landed on the obsidian scaled dragon's back and pulled out a sword. Malchior shook him off with an upside down flight maneuver but Robin was brought down to safety by Raven's powers.
Cyborg and Hot Spot tried one last time to strike the dragon but Malchior conjured up a shield to absorb the impact. "Titans, I must admit," he said calmly. "You tire me today. I think I'll take a brief rejuvenation period and let the Gostulings enjoy themselves now."
From the ground arose at least one hundred of the creatures Raven had described to them before. Some took to the air while others stayed on the ground where some of the Titans stood. By description, she had been quite accurate, for the Titans and their allies were familiar with the appearance of the Gostulings. However, nothing could have prepared them for the sickening and terrifying feeling halting the continuation of the beating in their chest. Nothing could have given them the slightest idea of what it was like to be surrounded by death, immersed in its bitter hopelessness and overwhelming power.
They stood in the presence of the ghost like creatures, a pale cloudiness in color, taking a humanoid figure with a head, two arms and two legs. The teenagers could not respond to this army for a long time but Raven quickly regained control of her stability. Fear? Ha! She didn't do fear.
"We must not demean life by standing in the awe of death, my good friend David Sarnoff once said," Raven said in an inciting, yet almost jovial way. "Control your fear! You do not stand in death as these creatures do. You stand in life."
The others grabbed back onto their normal states of mind and focused on the task at hand. Beast Boy transformed into an eagle after he grabbed several pouches from off his belt. These contained green paint and with his claws, he slit them open and dropped them on several Gostulings. Bumblebee hit the painted areas right on the spot with her laserbeams as they watched the creatures shriek and tear apart into different directions, eventually sinking to the ground and leaving a puddle of blood.
Malchior was stunned for a moment but then he chuckled to himself, a deafening laugh escaping the mouth of a dragon. Of course Raven had figured out how to fight the Gostulings. He had given her the knowledge himself.
The other Titans lashed out onto the Gostulings. These spirit warriors, deadly swords at hand that were all too physical for their ghost-like appearance, fought back with vigorousness. Hot Spot and Aqulad used their elements to cover the Gostulings so that the others would have a quick moment to apply a deadly blow. The Mas Y Menos moved through the crowd with paint brushes so that Wildebeast could stab the Gostulings with his horns.
The midget genius was enjoying himself. He had created a robot to apply the pain and then the killing blow at the same time. He marched through the Gostulings, destroying them one by one with a snicker and a, "take that, you booger-eating-numb-skull!" Robin used a device he had made himself, a gun that was filled with sticky glue. He shot it out at the warriors as Speedy and Starfire hit their marks.
Mammoth battled the creatures using his brute force after they were given form and Raven carried rocks and rubble with her powers to crush the army. Many of them came after her, but Jinx or Cyborg would give her a hand and help her when she stood outnumbered. Nearly half of the army was gone before Malchior the dragon waved his arm and the Gostulings sunk into the ground.
"Enough is enough," he said grimly. "Let's fight."
A breath of dragonfire slipped through his white teeth at the Titans and Aqualad formed a wall of water to absorb most of it. Dragonfire still came through but the Titans moved out of the way in time. Mammoth tried hurling debris at the dragon but Malchior swished away as if he were chasing away a fly. Jinx hit the building beside the dragon with her pink discs so that would fall upon him but he used levitation to fling it Robin and Speedy who were rushing up.
Starfire and Bumblebee's starbolts and laserbeams he caught in midair and flung it back at them. Gizmo was beginning his assualt but Malchior stuffed the eight legged robot into his mouth and spat it back out. The dragon laughed at Hot Spot's display of fire for he could blow it out, even as it was thrown at him, with a snort. Cyborg shot at him with his sonic cannon but Malchior blocked it with the piece of asphalt Wildebeast had thrown at the same time.
It was time, Raven agreed to herself with a nod. She pulled out the white book with black engravings from the folds of her cape, simultaneously catching the attention of a horrible dragon mage.
"Why," he said quietly, "I believe it's the book I called home."
"Goodbye, Malchior," she said confidently, raising the book into the air. "Aldruon Enlenthra Nalthos Sola Narisnor!"
A white beam swirled around the great beast, pouring out of the cover of the book, just as it had before. But instead, it did not tear up the dark creature as it had before. It was as if the scaled hide of the evil dragon absorbed the illumination that dissolved into nothingness. Malchior was still there, unaffected, it seemed, and perfectly outside the book. Raven stared at him in horror. What happened?
"Surely you did not think that the curse would work again? Certainly not for my third time. I've grown stronger and more resistant to that spell each time. It's impossible to trap me in that book for a third time," he chortled as a dragon would.
Raven dropped to her knees, staring at the book she held in her hands. Useless, their attempts had been useless. The work and hours she had put into developing a strategy, their battle just now... it was just about hopeless. How could they defeat an enemy such as Malchior?
"Maybe tomorrow, things will prove more fortunate." She looked up to see that Malchior had changed into his human body, silver armor and long white hair. "Probably not," he mused, stepping away from the downcast Titans. "Probably not."
Malchior's humanoid image blurred in with the city setting until they could see him no longer. Robin and Beast Boy rushed to Raven's side, trying to comfort her with gentle caressing and few words. All knowing that there was no use in saying what everyone was thinking already, the road was quiet. Once again, the Titans were left in a desolate city where silence ruled. The plague that had hit Jump City destroyed Sabingham. Once again, the Titans were left with the question of how they were going to stop him and Sagira when it was Malchior who spared their lives every time.
"He's kind of attractive, actually," Jinx tried to make light of it as she whispered to Bumblebee.
It's hard to make light of anything as dark as this.
"What do we do now?" Starfire asked as the exhausted Titans sat in the central room, sitting in silence on the couches or taking care of each other's wounds. "What do we do now?"
Not a word was spoken as the teenagers locked themselves in a glum disposition. For Raven, Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, and Beast Boy, it was another failure. For the others, it was a first encounter with the most powerful force they ever came up against. But now that the book plan had not worked, they sat in questioning: what do we do now?
Raven shook away the scene from her head as she scoured the night sky. Yes, they had looked to her for answers. She had looked to her books and studies for answers. They had looked to her for a plan but she could think of nothing. Nothing but his.
Malchior... she hated the poison his name carried into her head. Every time they fought, even being in his mere presence flaunted the fact that he had betrayed her, told her that he loved her, and then fooled around with her life and the lives of her friends like toys. She had known this abhorrence before, this pure loathing of the young man who tore up her heart. For a second time, he did the same but this time, she was able to pick up the pieces. This time, she replaced, perhaps, the somewhat of an attraction to him, with her detestation, and used that as a cohesive to put back the pieces. Yes, now she was stronger. Her hate what was what healed her and she was ready to do what had to be done.
And she would slit Sagira's throat. A thousand times, perhaps. Whatever made her feel satisfied.
She flew above a ruined city, darkened buildings that have only been just a few days vacant by civilization. It seemed like years ago when people had last lived there. There were no city lights: just the myriad stars that shimmered across the warm blanket of black. Stars never before seen by the human eyes peeked their way through the unusual darkness, guiding the violet haired girl through the sky. A midnight wind skimmed the surface of her body, sending her a slight shiver but it was nothing she wasn't used to. She shuddered because of the task that lay before her.
"Gizmo, please, Gizmo, don't go!" Jinx cried out, holding onto the arm of the small genius.
Raven had just walked out of her room to hear Jinx's plead from down the hallway. She could not see what was going on, but she perched herself on the ceilings as a raven in the shadows of the hallway. She did not want them to see her there.
"I'm not going to die with the rest of you snot-brained idiots!" he snapped. "And if I have to see you make kissy faces at the hunk of metal for one more second, I'll-"
"Gizmo, you're like a brother to me. I need you with me."
There was a strange pause. "A brother, eh? Just a brother..." his voice trailed off. "All the more reason why I have to get out of here. Come on, Mammoth."
"You too?" her voice twisted in agony. "Mammoth, not you too!"
"I can't let Gizmo go by himself," he said in a saddened voice. "Goodbye, Jinx," he and Gizmo started down the hallway where Raven hid.
"Fine!" Jinx yelled down the passageway. "Go on, get out of here! If we die, you die too! We don't need you losers, anyway!"
The pain in Jinx's voice cursed her still as she glided through the thick atmosphere. She had to make this work, not only for Jinx, but for everyone who was cursed to die.
Her eyes scanned across cars and rubble that lay in haphazard mounds or scattered across the roads and parks. She looked for signs of of habitation, of people, specifically, Malchior and Sagira, living in one of the buildings or houses. As she reached the outskirts of town where the luxury homes were positioned, she caught sight of the Gostuling posts roaming the property where the only lights in the city came from. Malchior and Sagira had not bothered to hide where they were staying. They didn't really have to, for they were protected by Gostulings and the Titans would not be looking for another fight after losing terribly in the day.
"Azareth Metrion Zynthos," she canted quietly, performing a teleporation spell. Her body was engulfed by a large black bird and she felt herself jolt through the air until she felt materialized again. She had to admit, she was somewhat surprised. She was expecting some sort of shield to block her from coming in that way. Of course, a shield conjured by a wizard could be easily broken if the mind was not strong enough or distracted by something else...
She found herself inside of the extravagant house, standing in the foyer beside the front door. A crystal chandelier glittered its silver in the dim illumination of the stars but other than that, she could see no other detail of the room. Only the palatial stairs in the center of the room was plainly in view and she levitated herself up to the top of them and looked around. One door was bordered by light, indicating the presence of someone awake. She would not venture into that room, not tonight...
Teleporting in an out of the remaining nine rooms, she took a few steps into each room, looked around and then went on to the next. Each room had a mini hallway leading to the larger space of it with a stand and either a decorative vase or an artificial flower bouquet atop it. Each time, she would peak in towards the bed, look for a figure in the covers and then try the next room.
Eight down, and there was just one more. She held her breath as she teleported into the mini hallway of the last bedroom. She leaned over just a bit to catch a glimpse of the bed.
Indeed, someone was there, sitting on the far side of the bed, back turned. The figure had not noticed her presence. She tried to figure out who it was: white hair gave away his identity. He was leaning over, his face buried in his left hand and his elbow propped up against his thigh. Soft whimpers seemed to be coming from his side of the room.
It suddenly occurred to Raven that he was crying.
Crying? What would the bastard have to cry about? Was he suddenly feeling remorse for the cities that he destroyed? Raven almost laughed at the thought but she took another glance at the weeping wizard.
His breath stammered in an awkward rhythm and he sniffed once every fifteen seconds or so. She could not see his face, but there was no doubt about it: Malchior was truly crying. But how could he cry, after all that he has done? How could that monster have the nerve to show that he was human after everything that happened. She grew angry and then pulled out a poisoned dagger from the side of her belt, preparing for the assault.
She would kill him now, she thought to herself. Kill him when we was weak, helpless, and unknowing. Destroy the man who had destroyed her before. Cut him off from her life. She fingered the weapon, her arms ready to make that final swipe to end his existence. But her legs would not move. She could not bring herself to levitate and fly at him. Most importantly, her eyes would not move from the image of the sobbing young wizard and her ears would not close to his cries.
Crying? How could he be crying?
No, this bastard wasn't going to suck any pity out of her, she shook her head. His destruction had been long delayed and now she would get rid of him once and for all. Whatever he was crying for, he deserved it, just as he deserved the death sentence she was about to fulfill if it weren't for her damn, hesitating muscles...
I could not kill someone when they're crying.
Yes, she grit her teeth. I must. And she could certainly kill this wizard if he were bawling on the ground for all she cared.
But her heart went out to Malchior as he sat on the bed. Her eyes softened and the hatred that once held up her heart was washed away by the tears that fell down his cheeks. For a moment, all she wanted to do was rush to his side, comfort him, wipe away the tears as he had once did for her. She nearly screamed at this thought when she realized that she had lost control--
When she realized that she could not kill Malchior.
I can't do this, she put her hand on the small stand, shaking her head. I've failed them. I've failed everyone. I could kill him now, but I can't. I've betrayed them once again.
As she was about to teleport away, she bumped her foot against the stand. With a slight gasp, she tried to teleport but Malchior was too quick. He jumped up and grabbed her arm before she could leave the world. His eyes widened as he recognized her quickly as did her then she first caught a glimpse of the wet trails running down his face. Quickly wiping them away with one arm, he did not realize his firm grip on her. He spun her away from the door and further into the bedroom, grabbing hold of her other arm as well.
"Raven?" His mystified voice whispered her name in horror. "How long have you been here?"
"I just got here," she lied quietly, refusing to look into his black eyes.
"What are you doing here?" he questioned sternly.
"I was actually on my way out."
"What are you doing here?" he asked again. She would not look at him or reply to his question. "What are you doing here?" his voice grew in frenzy and in volume as he gripped her shoulders. Still, her voice stood steadfast in her throat and would not come out at his command. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" he screamed, shaking her vigorously, until she threw off his arms with her hands to stop him.
"I've come to kill you!" she screamed back at him. "I came here to kill you!"
"Is that so?" he nodded in a fanatic motion. "Then kill me!" he flung his arms up into the air. "Go ahead, kill me! I won't stop you, Raven. Strike!" he pointed to his chest, devoid of the armor she usually saw him wearing. "Kill me, Raven! Kill me!"
Why couldn't she kill him? Why couldn't she strike? The emotions she thought she had banished flooded her eyes, causing her to throw her glance in another direction.
"No!" she spun away from him, trying to hurry out the window, but he grabbed her wrist with his hand, pulling her back towards him.
He looked her straight in the eye and she could she the grief and insanity gleaming from his coal black eyes. He looked at her and laughed as his other hand ventured to stroke her cheek. "After all this time..." he laughed. "After all I've done... with all your hatred, you still can't kill me. Not even when you have the chance. I'm flattered, Raven."
"I will kill you, Malchior," she choked.
"So kill me now, sweet Raven. Kill me now: this is the only chance you'll ever get."
There was a loud rapping on his bedroom door and they both looked in its direction. "Malchior, what's going on?" Sagira's voice shouted through the doorway.
Malchior led her to the balcony in his bedroom and handed her a necklace with a colorless marble. "Get out," he said. "If you wear this, the Gostulings won't be able to see you and chase after you. Hurry, before Sagira sees you."
She put on the necklace reluctantly and levitated into the black sky. She never took her eyes off the young wizard as he watched her fly away. Not bothering to repress anymore, she cried silently, the tears adding to bright sand in the sky. Her heart was heavy, not only because she failed, but because she had circumnavigated a terrible predicament and was back where she started--
Never before had he seemed so human.
Never before had she seemed so weak.
That was fun. I actually spent like five hours straight doing this. Haha...have to do this more often after finals are over...
Only one more chapter left, pretty crazy! I gotta thank you guys for sticking with my slow updates and reviewing faithfully. Your reviews bring a smile to my face everytime.
Hope you enjoyed!
Kree
