A/N: Sorry if I took time. Only two more chapters left. Or maybe just one. It's finally coming to an end! I'm happy and relieved.
BTW, they ride stagecoaches, not cars. Just a warning. XD
Seeing Beyond the Dark
Chapter Eight—Meeting
The tension in the air was abruptly disrupted when Nairu clapped her hand together loudly.
"Well, that solves everything! Seki doesn't have Robin!"
Raven shook her head. "But he said he has something we may want."
"Well, it could be a bluff…we aren't sure. But at least for the meantime, Robin's safe with us. And so's your life."
Raven nodded solemnly, then turned to Robin. "Hey…thanks."
"For what? Not losing half of your soul?" Robin teased, his rage had left him.
She managed a weak grin, "Something like that…"
They exchanged glances and Ralph gestured Robin to take a seat. "Now that we're on friendly terms, can we eat already? I'm starving."
"Aiya. We're already halfway through with lunch!" Nairu said. "The appetizer was taken away already."
Ralph's grin didn't falter. "Then we'll skip that and proceed to the main course!"
"If you're stomach can take it." Raven replied. "Today's a vegetable day. Four kinds with only one serving that's chicken."
Ralph, annoyed, but was not to be defeated. "I was once a vegetarian, you know!"
"God forget those times."
"You don't believe me?"
Raven ignored him and for the rest of the lunch, the four of them were engaged in a pleasant and polite conversation, forgetting the event that would happen later that day.
"You let them get away!" Seki repeated in frustration.
The soldier made a hesitant nod, looking away from his employer's fiery eyes. "Yes, but sir—"
"Fool!" He interrupted, his fist connecting to the soldier's chin. He watched angrily as the man flew well across the room and collapsed in a heap at the other end. "Not only have you failed in your information on the idiot's whereabouts, you also let his comrades escape!"
"But sir, the Squad—"
"I don't care about the police!" He shouted, then paused. The anger left his eyes and in its place, a mask was woven and his face was inscrutable once again. Quietly, he spoke, "Expect dire consequences for your failures."
The man struggled to his feet and shifted to an awkward kneel, suppressing the urge to examine the wound on his chin that was bleeding excessively. His employer believed in the goodness of pain.
"Yes, sir."
"Then you are dismissed. Prepare a coach for me and as planned, we will meet Raven at the city square when the last of the night rules the sky."
"I bid thee good day, sir." The man said stiffly before exiting the room.
The time clicked and the bell on the tower rang. It was midnight. It was time.
Raven walked to the center square, with Ralph, Nairu and Robin. And a hundred soldiers hidden in the darkness.
Robin and Ralph insisted they had come along, against Raven's wishes.
All traces of emotion left, and her face was inscrutable. In truth, she was afraid. Afraid for what Seki might have under his sleeve. But she controlled this fear, twisted it into a blinding courage. She was likewise thankful she had Robin beside her. For some unfathomable reason, it gave her a measure of hard-drawn strength.
She could see a faint figure in the shadows. Seki.
"Grateful you could come, Raven." He spoke first.
"I did not bid you use of my name." She replied curtly.
"Oh, but Your Highness, you have neither my loyalty nor my respect. I do not need your permission."
"Just as well, Seki. Now let's get down to the point. Why are you here?"
He stepped out of the shadows and the familiar face smirked at her. "To steal the throne, of course. Isn't that predictable?"
Raven glared. "You say you have something of importance to me?"
Beastboy, Cyborg and Starfire followed the Squad Soldier out.
"The sun has forsaken us, it would seem." Starfire said.
"Aye, it must be midnight…" Cyborg replied.
"But where're they takin' us?"
The Squad soldier turned to the smaller changeling. "I don't know. But I think we're going on a detour."
"…A detour?" Beastboy repeated.
"Yeah. I heard them talking a while ago. Something about the princess in the city square at midnight. Some awful business, I might add. The rest of the squad went on ahead already."
"Aww, do we have to go?"
"I'm afraid so, young one. They're orders from our superiors, and we can't let you go until further interrogation." The Squad soldier replied. "We're nearly there."
Just then, the coach they rode on gave a sharp lurch, and the four were thrown forward in a tangled heap.
"What in the world?" Cyborg shouted, irate as he shook Beastboy off of him.
"Don't move! Hands in the air, now!" The new voice startled them all, and they all followed, confused.
"What's happening?"
Cyborg cursed under his breath. Under the moonlight, the shape of a gun took form in the dark outside the window, and it was aimed at him. "Shit. Someone's holding me off at gunpoint." He muttered to the other three.
The Squad soldier looked puzzled. "Who's he?"
"Is he…is he robbing us?" Starfire asked fearfully.
"No, darlin', I'm not." The voice answered. "Now get out of there slowly, and no rash movements, or you can say good bye to this big fella."
After several minutes, four people stood at the open road. The man had a whole gang with him, and all of them held a gun at their hands.
"What do you want with us?" Beastboy asked.
"Ah, nuthin', lad." The man answered. "You're just trespassing."
Cyborg lifted a brow. "Trespassing!" He turned to look at the soldier, then back to him.
"Too bad we can't let you go. Master's orders were to kill anyone who passes. However…you there!" He pointed at the soldier. "You're from the police, aren't you? That uniform's familiar."
The Squad soldier flinched, but it was unseen in the dark. "Yes, I am."
"Come to your princess' rescue, no doubt?"
"So!" The Squad member finally said. "You're those enemies of the princess!"
The man snorted. "Enough! You're going with us, and we're off to see the boss."
"Dearest Princess," Seki replied with a hint of amusement. "It's—"
He stopped as one of his men tapped his soldier lightly. He turned away.
"What?" He lowered his voice, but it became sharp and intimidating.
"Some men we're passing by here some while ago. They're here." He pointed to four people who stood glaring at them.
Seki glared back, piercing. Surprise caught him when it finally registered to him who they were.
Cyborg, Starfire and Beastoy. The Rest of the Teen Titans. And a soldier from the Royal Squad too.
"Oh, how lucky can I get." He smirked cruelly. They had gotten away, but now he had them again. He had the upper hand. It was going to be a bittersweet reunion.
The smirk was still on his face when he turned around to face Raven from across the city square again.
"It's funny, princess, while ago I would've told you I bluffed, and you would've found your friends and yourself at the mercy of my soldiers and would've complied with my plan, all because I lost my dear prisoners earlier today. But fate is clearly with me, for they have returned, right into my hands themselves."
Raven raised her chin. "Prisoners? Make yourself clear, Seki. I don't have time for games."
Beside her, Nairu whispered to Robin, "He was bluffing, I knew it!"
"Yeah, but what's this about prisoners?" Robin asked.
Seki gestured his men forward. "Say hello to your friends, princess."
Raven glanced at the four people they brought forth. Her eyes widened then narrowed. Why were they here? How did Seki get them? God, she was dragging all her friends to her own personal mess! She suddenly felt guilty and turned around to see the others' reaction.
"What are you guys doing here!"
Robin stared on, mouth open and eyes wide, and the same expression held her other teammates. Finally, Cyborg spoke.
"Rob, you found Rave! But--"
Beastboy interrupted him in an outburst of stupefication. "You were the last two we expected to see! What are you doing here?"
"Oh, what is happening?" Starfire asked.
Robin turned to Seki, eyes flashing. "Release them, you madman!"
"And lose the advantage? No way, boy. You and the Princess would just follow all that I say and—"
"Princess? Princess!" Cyborg yelled. "Princess Nairu?" He turned to Raven's best friend.
Raven sighed, taking a step forward. "No, it's me. I'm sorry I hid it from you, but I had to, to save you from this exact situation!"
"But what's going on? Who IS this guy!"
"That's nice, but we don't have time for chitchat." Seki snapped his fingers, and four soldiers came forward and tied gags across their mouths, effectively stopping them from speaking further.
Raven paled, a rage catching her. How dare he! She fought to keep it in control. "What do you want from me, Seki?"
"Nothing, Princess. Just a little piece of stone I am sure you are familiar with."
"The Ethrium?"
"Yes, I believe that's what it's called."
Raven was taken aback. "That's what you want?" She had thought maybe he would want the throne, the kingdom, even some money. But only a stone? She could understand he might want her dead, but of what other use would the stone be? He wasn't an heir to the throne, he would get nothing if she died. "But why would you want it?"
"Still clueless as ever, I see. That stone wields powers that are locked, great powers that hold half your soul in it. Yes, I know about that. Your mother told me herself."
"S-She did?"
"She's as foolish as you. And as gullible. Such a waste it was. But that stone rightfully belong to me. She stole it."
"I don't believe you."
"Believe whatever you will. She knew about its powers, and stole it from me, then cast a curse on me. A curse that takes away all my powers," He said bitterly. "And that stone was my inheritance, from a father who dealt with the lost ancient civilization, had led his whole life for that one thing. It was his legacy, to me. She always kept me at close watch, threatening me if I told anyone the truth. But then, I rejoiced when she died.
"However, not when I finally learned of what use my stone was put into. So, your mother attempted to kill me. And she thought she succeeded when she threw me across the ocean in the middle of nowhere. But see, I survived and came back. Then, I changed my name, my identity, even my hair color with the help of an old friend of mine. And I waited until the Ethrium showed once again.
"And you gave it to of all the people, some boy in some crime-fighting whatsit. How noble. Not. The only way to lift my curse is with the power of the stone. And it's a sure way to power and world domination. " He strode forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Now hand it over unless you want one of your friends killed."
"A curse? You have a curse?" Raven asked, to save some little time as she thought. Others were in danger. What could she do?
"Ah yes, I was once a very powerful sorcerer. But your mother, or rather, her army of warriors invaded my homeland. My father died in the process. Like the fool she is, she underestimated me, and I fought her off and escaped. She had the palace search for me, dead or alive, preferably dead. But I was washed away, weak as I was, when I fell of a cliff in my hasty flee."
"But her mother would do no such thing!" Nairu protested.
Seki shrugged. "Then you obviously don't know her well enough."
Raven had turned to Robin, who asked quietly, "What now?"
Raven turned back to Seki, then shifted her gaze to the four who stood behind him, then back to Robin.
"Robin…I have a favor to ask." She said softly.
"Whatever it is, I'm not giving the Ethrium to him."
"But others' lives are in danger." She reasoned, touching his arm.
"Look, Rave—there must be another way."
Raven was silent, then she looked away. "The favor I ask of you is the other way. The way that we will all be safe and he won't get his hands on the Ethrium."
She couldn't meet his eyes, but her voice was firm. "You must destroy it, the only way it can be destroyed. It will vanish at my death. You have to kill me. Now."
Authoress' notes: Hasty chapter, and a bit too sudden, wasn't it? Oh well. But it does shed light to most of the story. I hope. .
Hehe, this story's AU, so Triton isn't here, and Raven's whole family was made up.
Please leave a review and I shall dedicate the next chapter for you. No, really. XD