Hope you liked extra long last chapter. Because this one will be longer
Chapter 9: Painkiller
I remember sometime, Raven got really drunk and then… she got really horny. And I couldn't think of anything else better to do.
Then I woke up next to her. She seemed at peace for the first time in I don't know how long. Not at peace as in dead, but not worried. She genuinely seemed happy.
I got out of bed, dressed, took one last peek at Raven, and then went to breakfast. Alex was already up and she was making scrambled eggs… yuck. I could see she had made herself an extra large portion, and was fixing it so I had the albumen of three eggs while she had the yokes. Raven's breakfast was a regular portion of scrambled eggs.
"Good morning Daddy." I don't know why she called me daddy and called Raven mom.
"Morning Alex. Did we do what I think we did?" I asked. She tried and failed to suppress a grin and nodded.
"From the sounds of things she was even happier with you than usual. A lot happier." Alex grinned even wider.
"Ah shut up. You wouldn't know."
"Actually Daddy…"
"For the last damn time you dreamed that."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I swear on your life."
"Then I trust you."
"Good. Well, let's leave your mother alone. She's either got a massive headache or she's on the down-side of a feel good." I said.
Alex sighed and went over to the couch, hand on her stomach. She grabbed the remote, propped her feet up and turned the T.V. on. She settled into the couch.
I sat down beside her. "Anything wrong Alex?"
"I'm just… afraid of losing this baby too. So I'm taking it easy. I'm going to be lazy."
"Be as lazy as you want, but keep fit." I replied, kissing her forehead. She gave me a hug and I went outside.
"Hmmm…" So much yard work. Raven was definitely getting slack on her duties. Well, best get to work. There was weed eating and mowing to be done. I got the mower out and began to cut grass…. After I had finished, I put it back, started the weed eater, and got that out of the way. Finally I finished and went back inside.
Raven was already up. "Yard work?" She asked, sitting on the couch.
"Yeah. It's hot as hell out there…" I said. Her eyes widened.
"So… the desolation is happening again?" She asked.
"Perhaps…"
"'Desolation'"? Alex asked.
"Yes, Alex, desolation. This has only happened twice before in the entire history of the Earth. The first was when Hell's Generals first appeared and were stopped by The Sinner. The second was the last time, while we were still teens…"
"You mean before you got mom pregnant with me?"
"Yes. It was horrible. But I suspect it was merely a paltry taste of the coming evil, as seen by the damage that imposter Pain did."
"So… Hell's Generals are definitely worse than imposter Pain?" Alex asked, now realizing the gravity of the situation.
"Why shouldn't they be?" I asked.
"I don't know."
"Well, one thing's for sure. Hell's Generals are back. And no part of the Earth is going to escape this time." Raven said. Silence ensued.
"Raven, I have to say, that was cheesy. Really cheesy."
"Yeah I know. Had to say something though." She replied. "Malice, get your communicator."
"Why?"
"We can't do this alone."
"So? Get your own." I loved being weird.
"You keep yours on you. I don't. Call the rest of the team."
"For?"
She sighed and then slapped me "You know very well what for. So they can help us. So we can help the people."
"Yeah I know." I activated the communicator and double clicked the button.
Elsewhere…On the dresser the communicator emitted two loud clicks. The Cyborg looked at it surprise and clicked once back.
Lying discarded on the floor, the communicator clicked twice consecutively. The tall vigilante looked at it in surprise, as did the even taller alien standing beside him. The vigilante picked it up and clicked it.
Swinging from a chain in front of the girl's eyes, the communicator began to click. Two clicks. The changeling looked in astonishment as it continued. He reached and clicked it.
"Well?" Raven demanded as she watched.
"They'll be here."
"When?"
"Give 'em an hour."
"We should prepare."
"Don't need to."
"Why is that?"
"Fortunately for you and our friends, I've always been preparing. I knew the day would come and it's here." I replied
They arrived and looked quite grim. Seems they'd read my mind.
"Well, well, well. Looks like the day is finally here. I was right." I said.
"So we were right in thinking Hell has finally sent the Generals here?" Starfire asked. She seemed to have gotten out of, for the most part, her 'accent'.
"Correct."
"You're the expert here. What do we do?" Nightwing, formerly Robin, asked.
"I expect what's known as the 'Desolation' is going to happen again as it did the last time Hell tried to invade." I answered.
"So we do what exactly?" Beast Boy, now going by Garfield, inquired.
"We have to wait. Unfortunately, they're not going to be stupid and strike in the same area. Wait a few days. You guys can crash here so we're ready."
"So how do we prepare?" Garfield's girlfriend, Smoke, asked.
"Quite simply," I smiled my toothy smile. "Like we always did. Combat practice. Cyborg and I already have the equipment ready."
"So what're we going to be using?" Gar asked.
"The Vulture and The Tank." I replied. At their questioning looks, I continued. "The Vulture is my own personal Hoverbike. Actually I've got two. The Tank is pretty much just that. Like a huge armored van."
"So how does that help us?" Nightwing asked.
"Simple. I and someone else will go out on the two Vultures, and scout for victims of the Desolation. While the rest are in The Tank helping them. Raven can teleport them to a safe house, and Alex can act as the anchor for them."
"Ah it makes sense." Victor Jr., obviously Cy and Sara's son, said. He really quite resembled his father, excepting the mechanical parts of his father
"Good. We can safely get the people out of harm's way, and then deal with the Generals." Nightwing put in. I nodded and everyone seemed to get the cue I was done.
And so several days passed with Alex taking it easy but the rest of us training. Finally I checked the Internet and saw all kinds of reports about the rapidly rising heat in certain areas.
"Time to go." I said. I rounded the team up and told them our plan again. They all agreed.
We talked and agreed to leave immediately. Only matter to resolve was, who got the other Vulture.
"I will." Gar immediately spoke up.
"It's settled. Time to go."
The team, aside from Gar and myself, walked to the Tank, while we walked to the two Vultures.
"How do I ride it?" He asked.
"Like a regular bike." I replied, hopping on and starting it. I loved the fact they'd start cold. He followed suit and started it as well.
"Hey this is easy." He said, with some amazement.
"Just don't run into anything." I said, with some amusement.
"So what do we do again?"
"We scout ahead of the rest and lay these locators," I held out my hand revealing the small, oval-shaped locators. "Where there are survivors. We'll bury the dead as well. Let's go."
We bolted past the Tank and were off.
After several hours of searching, we had gotten a pretty big area. We had buried countless bodies, rescued tons of people, and made so many bad jokes we couldn't them all.
I began to wonder if we could get everyone in time. But Gar interrupted me.
"So… Malice… what's Raven say about me?" He asked, playing down the importance of the question.
"Not much really… but praises you at points… even retells some of your jokes." I replied.
"Then maybe I have a chance!" He said.
"No. Not a snowball's chance in Hell. Sorry to say, but she loves me. And I love her. Nothing's gonna change that." I stated, matter-of-factly.
"Don't be so sure." He laughed.
"And don't be so confident. We love each other too much."
"Well… times change."
"Gar. I'm telling you, you're wasting your time trying to win her affection." I hated to put him down, but better he learn now than later.
"If you say so Malice…"
"I do… what the hell?" I stooped down and kicked a bit more dirt away. My eyes widened as I realized what I was looking at.
"What is it?"
"The Painkiller." I stated, reading the demonic inscriptions on the hilt. So this was what The Sinner had used against Pain. I picked up the worn and rusted blade and it was at least twice as heavy as it looked.
"What is it?"
"It's what The Sinner used against Pain during the first invasion. But I think this weapon can only be wielded by a demon."
"Why?"
"Well, you try and lift it." I threw it on the ground near him. He attempted to lift it up and could not. None of his forms could.
"I guess so." He panted.
"Well, this will definitely come in handy. Quite handy indeed…" I said, my voice trailing off. I dug a bit and found its scabbard. Sheathing it, and tying the scabbard to my belt, we continued on.
After yet more skeletons, corpses, and victims Gar started another conversation.
"This… sickens me… who would do this to such innocent people? Why not target us? The only ones who will ever pose a threat?" He asked, trying not to puke as we buried yet another skeleton and festering corpse, halfway through being eaten by vultures.
"Hell." I answered simply. "The real place is worst than anything yours or my mind can comprehend."
"How do you know?"
"I was briefly there."
"Huh?"
"I was sent there once. As part of my redemption. My mind exploded… or, would have… but it couldn't, as I was technically dead. That image of what lay there…. It will haunt me forevermore."
"What was it?"
"I… it's… worst than anything you can ever imagine. Trust me. That's the only way I can explain it." I replied
"So… who sent you to Hell?" Gar asked.
"Heaven. I agreed in exchange for another chance at Retribution and Redemption. I am glad I had the chance, and was spared from the thousands of damned souls."
"How… why did they?"
"So I'd know what it was like. It was definitely the most nightmarish place ever…" I trailed off once again. Just as something exploded ahead of us.
Elsewhere…The figure stands before the alter and looks up at the giant evil that stands oppressive over all the figure can see.
"My Lord. Pain has arrived. The invasion shall commence." The figure says
"Good. We may have been delayed. But we shall destroy." The evil replies
"Shall we send the rest?" The figure asks
"Yes. Hide them. So they regain power." The evil replies, the fire flaring up around him.
Back at the Desolation…Malice's P.O.V.
The great pillar of fire rose higher and higher in the sky until I could not see the end. I knew this was the real Pain. I knew the black demon was Pain. Pain had spikes at his knees, elbows, on his visage, back, tail… everywhere. The voice sounded like a sonic boom in my ears.
"Now, Sinner… prepare to die. Hell has deemed you should die, and I will make it so!" He said, all very dramatically. I'd have laughed if it wasn't for his size, and the fact his voice seemed to shatter my eardrums.
"OH SHIT!" Gar yelled, turning the communicator on. "GET US OUTTA HERE! PAIN IS HERE! WE CAN'T HANDLE HIM! HE IS TOO BIG! GET US THE HELL OUTTA HERE!"
"Gar, run. He won't come after you. He'll come after me." I calmly told Gar. "Run Gar. Run for your life. Run to Raven. Tell her I won't join her. Take good care of her Gar."
"Malice, you're coming back. You have to. For Raven. Malice, promise me you'll return."
But I didn't answer him. I was too busy praying and old prayer that had been forgotten…
"Let me have strength from those who've died. Let me be brave for those who've died. Let me strike down sinners, for those who've died. Let me smite down my enemy upon this day."
I kissed the symbol Raven had given me long ago. Then I began to recite a stanza from a song.
"Let me hear the battle cry, calling on the wind.
Let me see the banners fly, before the storm begins
Let me feel the spirits soar, destroy the enemy
Striking at the evil core, for all the world to see."
I kissed the Judas Priest symbol I had. Then I stood to fight the first of the ultimate evil. I stood for the world. I stood against Pain personified.
The Endeth Occureth