Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, but things have been pretty crazy now that exams are upon me! I'm supposed to be studying Chemistry but I guess I couldn't help finishing this after those wonderful reviews for the last chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. It really made my day.
To LM22102: I guess another failing of mine is that I tend to write heaps just to cover about 1 percent of the storyline! Okay, I'll be sure to tone down on Raven's alter egos. As for more interactions between Raven and Dante, I'll be sure to go on to lots of that too! And thanks for the tip on writing Starfire. :)
To Luis: Actually, I did write that FFVIII fanfic, Truth, Lies & Destruction. I'm quite surprised you recognized me! Unfortunately, it was a horrible piece of writing and I realised a year or so ago that it definitely didn't have a future, since, when I thought about it, it was going to focus more on Xander and Rinoa instead of Rinoa and Squall, so I discontinued it. I'm glad you liked the battle scenes, though.
CHAPTER THREE
"So, do you come here a lot?" Raven asked. She was sitting at the end of the wooden jetty, her slender legs dangling over the edge. She leaned back to look at the sky, her hands supporting herself, and inhaled a deep breath. The sunlight felt wonderful on her face; she'd never realised how pleasant it was before. A few metres away stood a figure in a blue coat, holding a fishing rod. The figure's head was turned away, effectively shielding its face from her eyes, but even from her point of view, she noticed the streaks of white in its hair.
"Only as much as you do," the mysterious figure replied in a strangely stiff but definitely male voice. He cast his bait with a strong swing and gazed at the flat sheet of greenish-blue in front of him. "The sun… It's nice, isn't it?" he remarked.
"Mmm…" Raven shut her eyes and nodded, feeling the warm breeze tugging at her violet locks. She was without her cloak, but surprisingly felt perfectly at ease even in its absence. The soothing sound of the waves gently crashing upon the stilts of the platform she was on seemed to calm her mind; up to the point where she deemed it unnecessary to even find out who that man was.
"If you're not careful, it might not be around for long," he warned.
"… What do you mean?"
"There'll come a day when darkness is all that lights this world; when the souls of hell return to walk this earth again, and everything you know now will cease to exist," he said cryptically. "Sometimes, they—the humans—are merely pawns; liabilities we can replace. We kill one… a hundred… a thousand… What does it matter?"
Raven blinked, her eyebrows furrowed. "I don't understand…" she slowly admitted. "Why are you telling me this?"
"There are many things that we are not meant to understand, Raven; things that we simply have to accept," the figure said indifferently, beginning to draw his line in. "Like that prophecy at your birth, for instance… Did you actually understand why your father needed you to be his portal, or why he wanted every living thing to bow down to him? No… You just accepted it. You of all people should know that…"
"But I overcame him. That's all that matter… and he's not my father," she spat, clenching her fists as she looked at his relaxed stature. "He's a monster… I don't need to understand anything about him…"
"On the contrary, my sweet Raven…" the figure said in a chilling tone, reaching out to lift his squirming catch. Her eyes widened when she saw the dark, wriggling creature twist around with a hiss, the fishing hook clearly lodged between its bulging eyes. "Everything that's happened is just the beginning. You'll be learning much more about your father soon, and no matter what you do, you can't escape your true destiny." With inhuman speed, the man made a grab at the creature and tightened his grip on it, making it wriggle even more frantically. The hisses Raven heard were almost panicked, breathless; as if the strange beast itself somehow knew of its coming fate…
"Don't…" she said through gritted teeth, wanting to stop the torment. She tried to use her powers to free the helpless creature but nothing happened. Bewildered, she focused her will and tried again, but still, nothing.
The figure chuckled hollowly and slowly turned to her. She squinted to see his face but although it was covered in shadows, she could almost sense the sinister smile on his lips. "You see, Raven," he started calmly. "Try all you might, but you can't change anything. No matter what you do, you can't stop what's about to happen."
There was a loud, sickening squish as the man crushed the thing in his hand mercilessly, the crimson blood splattering over his arm and the planks below him. Raven turned away, unable to meet his steely glare anymore. "What do you want from me?" she asked bitterly.
"You'll know soon enough," the figure snickered. "Now be a good girl and get back to sleep. We don't want you blowing up the whole tower just because of a nightmare, do we?"
"Raven?" the concerned voice at the door, accompanied by an urgent knock, made her involuntarily jump, blinking groggily. She found herself on her bed, the Book of Azar in her hands and the rest of her hardbacks sprawled untidily around her. Smoothing back her violet locks, she stifled a yawn and called out warily, "What?"
"Are you… alright in there?" came Robin's voice. "I've been knocking for the past few minutes."
Instinctively pulling up her hood, Raven pushed the large book in her hand away and levitated to the door, slowly sliding it open. The dark-haired leader of the Titans stood outside, a quizzical look on his masked face. "You okay?' he asked brotherly.
"It's nothing," she answered with a shrug. "I was looking through my books and I must have dozed off. What's up?"
"Well, you haven't come out in quite a while. We were just getting a little worried, " Robin said. "We ordered some Chinese… Why don't you join us?"
"… Sure," she replied after considering the offer for a while. She was a little hungry, and living off herbal tea wasn't a very good idea after all…
"You sure you're okay? You look really tired." Robin studied the goth as they walked down the hallway. She ran weary fingers down her face and sighed, feeling her hood slip back. "I just… had a bad dream… and I do feel a little tired…" she admitted. "Maybe I should lay off the books for a while…"
"By the way, did you manage to find out more about those portals?"
"A little, but much more about the Temen-Ni-Gru. I'll fill you and others in over dinner," Raven said. They reached the living room-cum-kitchen where Beast Boy was already chomping down on tofu eggs and noodles, lying lazily on the couch with his eyes glued to the large screen before him. However, he joined Cyborg and Starfire at the dining table when the two arrived.
"Hey, Raven," he called out. The Tamaranian beside him was beaming in joy. "It is glorious to see you out of your room, my dear friend," she chirped. "Please, do have the noodles with us!"
Inwardly cringing at the sight of mustard covered Chinese food, Raven gave her a watery smile and sat herself down in front of some fried rice instead. "I'll just have some of this, Star. Thanks."
"So, what can you tell us?" Robin said, taking his seat next to Starfire and reaching for some egg rolls.
"There wasn't much I could find about the portals from the Book of Azar, but there was a part on the Temen-Ni-Gru. Like I said before, it was supposed to be sealed in the Netherworld," started Raven. "Legend has it that, millenniums ago, this world was ruled by demons, and humans were enslaved by them. The Temen-Ni-Gru acted as a sort of tunnel from the Underworld, and as long as it was still standing, humanity was doomed never to be free… but one demon was different from the others; he had a soul, and he knew demons didn't belong to this world… He was called Sparda."
"Sparda?" Starfire repeated thoughtfully at the mention of the name, a frown touching her brows. "That name seems familiar… I am quite certain my K'norfka, Galfore, said something about him in one of our many stories before the bed, but I might have been too young to care or understand…"
"Sparda turned out to be humanity's only hope," continued Raven. "He tried to destroy the tunnel, but when he failed, he sought out a ritual of some sort, and with that ritual, he managed to close the doorway from hell, prevent the Temen-Ni-Gru from rising again and send all the demons back to where they came from… but because he was one of them himself, even though he remained in this world, his demonic powers were sealed as well. After that… well, nobody really knew what happened to him then…"
Cyborg raised a mechanical eyebrow with a low whistle. "Wow… betcha wouldn't learn that in a history lesson…"
"So that portal the other day… Does it have anything to do with the ritual?" Robin frowned.
"Yeah. A few of my other books had more information about that. As I'd suspected, someone is trying to reverse it," Raven said grimly, touching her chin meditatively. "I tried to find out what the ritual is, exactly, but there was nothing more in my books… Also, that red column appears during the early stages of the reversal. I don't know why it suddenly disappeared, though… but there's a high possibility it'll turn up again somewhere…"
"We've been monitoring the city for a few days now, but still no signs of any of those portals or that Leviathan thing," Cyborg reported and pressed a button on his arm to display, on the screen in the lounge, various spots under tighter surveillance in the city. The main bridge appeared undisturbed with evening traffic moving to and fro, and the carnival by the pier seemed normal as well. The main street in the heart of town was still bustling with people. "Everything seems fine to me…"
"Still, it wouldn't be wise to let our guard down. Let's just continue the watch… That portal is bound to reappear somewhere…" Robin said, his masked eyes carefully scanning the large display before him.
"Man, and I thought all this demon thing was over when we kicked Trigon's butt…" muttered Beast Boy.
"Trigon was an inter-dimensional demon… He's different…" Raven pointed out. She took a moment to consider something, and then asked, "By the way, any signs of our new acquaintance?"
Robin shook his head. "No," he replied. "He's probably keeping a low profile, or maybe he's left town. Either way, it doesn't matter. I don't think he's dangerous… to us, I mean…"
"He knows more than he was telling us, I sensed it… What if we tracked him down?" suggested Raven thoughtfully. Cyborg arched an eyebrow up again. "And then what? Interrogate him? The guy probably likes to keep to himself… Kinda like you, Raven…"
Kinda like me She repeated in her head, amazed at what she had heard. I'm nothing like that pompous bastard. "What?" she barked, unable to stop herself. "Please, I beg to differ…"
"I just meant…" started Cyborg hesitantly, noticing her furious glare. He suddenly got the urge to switch into hibernating mode. Nearby, the rest of the team were taking sudden interests in their food. "Well… I mean, maybe he doesn't like… you know, telling people stuff… Maybe he… doesn't think people can handle it… You know, like you, Raven… You do that all the time… like, uh… staying cooped up in your room…" the half-man, half-machine stuttered.
She stared at him, her eyes narrowed slightly. "I just like my privacy, that's all," she defended herself in a huff. Suddenly losing her appetite, Raven pushed the rice in front of her away and got up, pulling on her hood to prevent them from seeing the annoyed expression on her face. "I'm going to my café," she announced. "… Don't wait up."
"Come on, Raven, don't be mad. Cyborg was just… being stupid…" Beast Boy said as he scratched his green hair nervously. The hulking Titan glared at him, but Raven merely continued walking to the front door. "Trust me," she muttered. "If I was mad, this whole place would be trashed by now…"
"Give it a rest, Beast Boy," she heard Robin quietly warn the shape-shifter. As she walked out the door, she tugged her sapphire cloak tighter around herself, feeling the chill evening breeze beginning to pick up. She was actually in the mood for a walk, but decided to take the easier way instead. Morphing into her raven form, she flew off into the night silently. It didn't take long for her to reach her favourite 'depressing café', as Starfire always called it. Although it was situated in one of the more run-down parts of the city, and almost surrounded by some very questionable alleyways, it was still quite popular among the locals at times.
Raven reverted to her true self in a dark alley and trudged down the quiet street towards the dimly lit café. The owner of the place, a sour-looking, middle-aged man of few words, looked up when she stepped in and grunted almost incoherently, seemingly uninterested, "The usual?"
She nodded without a word, heading to a table by a dark corner of the room; her regular spot. It was open mike and someone was on the stage, dramatically reading a depressing poem about his dead cat or whatnot. She pulled her hood back just as her tea arrived. Inhaling its scent, she wrapped her slightly cold fingers around the warm mug, bringing it to her lips and taking a sip, feeling the bittersweet liquid flowing down her throat. She couldn't resist a loud sigh of content. This is just what I needed…
"Haven't seen you around in a while," a monotonous voice, much like her own, reached her ears. She turned to see a black-clad, lanky guy with dark, messy hair looking at her from a nearby table. He was the guy from Blackfire's party a few years ago and a number of times, she had bumped into him again at the café. They shared a chat once in a while, and quite appropriately, his name was Goth…
"Been busy," she replied laconically. He wasn't annoying like some other guys she knew (a certain green face immediately popped into her head) and his quiet, cool manner was actually quite attractive. He wasn't very bad looking either, but after what happened with Malchior, she was reluctant to go down that path again, so she firmly kept him at arm's-length. He had made no attempts to court her—the conversations they had had remained casual—but being an empath, she sometimes sensed quite passionate emotions from him.
"So…" he began with a small grin, interrupting her train of thoughts, his unruly bangs almost covering his eyes. "What ya been up to?"
The cold breeze tugged at his red clothing as the drizzle lightly stung his face and chest, but Dante had no interest in the weather whatsoever. His attention was on something else—the platinum-haired man in front of him. His blue coat flapped gently in the wind, his greenish-blue eyes sharp and composed. A slim, oriental sword still in its sheath was in his hand, his stature confident but still. With a low snicker, Dante slowly paced around his end of the field, shaking his head. "It's been almost a year since we last met…" he remarked and outstretched his arms mockingly. "Aren't you gonna give your little brother a hug?"
"Under the current circumstances, I would actually deem that unnecessary…" the man replied in a cold voice. "But I guess I'll have to give you credit for being able to track me down from such a distance… After all, even the bond between us has its limits…"
"Actually, I had some help," Dante smirked. "But at least it's good to know I haven't been wasting all my time so far. Looks like my luck hasn't run out yet, huh?"
"Still ever the optimist, aren't you, dear brother? I see the months haven't changed you at all."
Shrugging, Dante crossed his arms and shifted his weight to his other foot, lightly tapping a boot. "Likewise, Vergil…" he countered. "It's been a year, but you're still an asshole and I still don't like you." He grinned indifferently, cracking his knuckles. "So let's get down to business… You planning to turn this whole city into demonsville, huh? Anything I can do to help? You know, maybe speed the process up a little faster…?"
"… Sarcastic as always, I see. But of course, there was a reason I wanted to meet you here…" Vergil said with a smug look. His gaze moved down to rest on his brother's chest—or more accurately, on the thing hanging around his neck. "Your amulet… Give it to me…"
"No way," Dante answered, pretending to be offended by the request. "You have your own, man…"
"… You know I don't like asking twice," said Vergil coldly, his eyes hardening.
"I told you, it's mine. What, did you lose yours or something? Not my problem then…"
Taking a small step forward, Vergil narrowed his gaze, a hand slowly moving to the hilt of his sword. "Give me that amulet…" he repeated. "… Or we can do this the hard way."
"Heh," snorted Dante, already reaching for Rebellion. "The 'hard way' is more fun any day, brother."
That promptly ended the terse conversation and in a flash, the two brothers were charging at each other with readied swords. The clanks of metal against metal echoed in the night, the gleaming steels swatting the drops of rain like flies. Their motions were swift, powerful, precise—almost as if they were synchronising each other's movements with their own. The familiar rush of adrenaline surged through Dante, his blood pumping, and he couldn't help a small grin, knowing his opponent was probably having the same feeling. After all, people always said twins were bonded to each other since birth.
"You've gotten rusty," Vergil sneered as he swiftly avoided a thrust, bringing his own sword upwards in a deadly uppercut, but Dante swung back in time to repel the attack, jumping back a little as he reached for one of his handguns. Vergil effortlessly deflected the shots with a skilful, inhumanly quick spin of his sword. The bullets ricocheted off to the trees around them and he gave a triumphant smile. "A poor try, dear brother. You know guns can't hurt any one of us."
"Sure, but I just really wanted to put a bullet in your head," replied Dante with a shrug. Relinquishing Ivory and taking firm hold of his sword again, he lunged forward with a powerful, horizontal slash that was repelled by another attack from his brother. Their fight seemed in slow motion through his eyes, but from a spectator's point of view, the mighty swings of their swords were lightning-quick, the moonlight reflecting off steel appearing as brief flashes.
The battle continued so for some time until, with a growl of fury and a sudden burst of power, Vergil leapt into the air and made a lethal downward strike. Instinctively raising Rebellion, Dante managed to block his attack. Their swords met with a deafening clank and pressed forcefully against each other as they both tried to push the other back, although equalling in strength. Their faces inches apart, teeth gritting in anger and frustration, their cyan eyes glared in animosity and anger. A grinding sound resulted from their touching swords, sparks flying dangerously close.
"Not so rusty now, huh?" Dante spat, but Vergil merely gave him a dark smile and said, "I guess not, but maybe I should show you a new trick I've learnt…" With that, his sword was immediately engulfed in a bluish hue, and his whole body soon followed suit. A little taken back at this sudden change, Dante had no time to react as Vergil suddenly delivered an unexpectedly powerful blow, the impact sending Rebellion flying out of his hands and into the air. Before anything could register in his mind, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach and something cold lodged itself within him. His eyes widened in disbelief and he saw Vergil's expressionless face before him, his cyan orbs still glowing faintly.
His brother remained silent as he pushed his sword deeper into him, ignoring the nauseating sounds from the wound. Dante gritted his teeth from the excruciating pain shooting through his every nerve, feeling the sharp steel being twisted mercilessly. He could feel a strange energy radiating from the sword, flowing into him, aching and numbing his limbs. He couldn't help a low grunt of agony as Vergil finally pulled the weapon out, the blade dripping with blood. His half-paralysed knees buckled under him and even as he collapsed backwards onto the ground, he saw Vergil reach out for something. It was only after he heard the sound of breaking chains did he realise his amulet had been claimed. "Looks like I'm still the better swordsman," Vergil said under his breath, a hint of arrogance in his voice.
Dante wanted to reach for his nearby sword, but the stinging pain in his body completely paralysed him, as if he was being poisoned by something. His head was spinning and his hands were soaked in a pool of his blood on the grass. There was a sickening sound of cold metal meeting warm flesh as he once again felt something slicing through his abdomen. When he opened his eyes, he could see the hilt of Rebellion before him; the long, broad blade pinning him to the ground. He almost couldn't feel the pain from the second assault; he couldn't even feel his limbs. Vergil looked down at him, his expression pitiless and hardened with triumph, before turning to walk away.
He did not know exactly what happened next, but his skin started to burn, and Dante's whole body felt as if it was on fire. The cold touch of his sword in hits guts disappeared as he vaguely saw Rebellion spinning away, as if it had been deflected from him. He did not even realise he was floating in the air, or notice that he was glowing red. A sudden surge of pain erupted within him, his skin burning agonizingly, his vision was clouded in crimson. A loud ringing echoed in his eardrums. He didn't know if he had imagined it or not, but when he saw his hands, they appeared to be claws instead. Before he could get his head around what was happening, everything ceased; the inflammation in his skin, the strange music in his ears, the pain in his limbs. He felt the remaining energy in his body getting sucked away and once again, he collapsed onto the ground, his bones aching, spent.
"… I see the devil within you has awakened as well, dear brother." He heard Vergil remark, but was too weak to respond. There was the sound of someone else walking on the damp grass and an unfamiliar voice said quietly, "You have the amulet. Leave him. We can't waste anymore time…"
"As much as I'd like to finish him myself, he's too weak to prove a challenge anyway," Vergil replied. There was a clinking of chains before he continued, "This second key… How like Sparda to conceal it in such an obvious place… And who better to undo his spell than his own son?" He paused. Dante heard him mutter something, and then something hissed, accompanied by snarls of hunger. His eyes might not have been working properly, but if his memory was right, it sounded like the creatures he had battled at the stadium a few days ago. "Deal with him," Vergil commanded. There was a grunt of affirmation before the rustling of grass could be heard as the few creatures grotesquely waddled to him, their long scythes clanging lightly against each other.
Dante forced an eye open, trying against hope to pick himself up or maybe even crawl away, but through his blurry vision, he saw a sheet of black slowly covering him. Somehow, he sensed something familiar about it, but his mind slowly went blank as he passed out.
"… Do you actually understand what she's moaning about?" Raven asked drily as she stared at a plump woman who, almost in tears, was wailing something that was supposed to be a poem of sorrow on the stage. Goth shrugged with a bored smile, his expression uninterested. "Something about her ex-boyfriend, I think," he replied. "Why do they always try to drag us into their misery?"
"Tell me about it." She sighed, holding up her mug for another sip. She heard him awkwardly clear his throat and suddenly sensed that something was up. "Listen, uh…" he said, his cool demeanour gradually shattering. "I know you're a Titan and all, but I was just wondering whether you'd want to g—"
Raven didn't even hear him complete his sentence because the next thing that happened made her almost drop her drink. A blinding pain shot through her head, making her gasp and slamming her mug onto the table, spilling some tea, a fact she was oblivious to. A hand went to her throbbing forehead, feeling as if a sledgehammer had slammed the insides of her brain. Her vision blurred for a second and, blinking, she took a moment to recompose herself. When she looked up, her companion was looking at her with a strange expression. "Um… Are you okay?" he inquired curiously.
She was about to respond when once again pain seared through her. She felt a little dizzy and without warning, there was a sudden flash and she heard a voice booming in her head, "You know guns can't hurt any of us…" When she blinked, it was gone, and all she could see was the dim lights of the café and Goth's concerned face. "Raven?" His eyebrows arched higher. Her head was spinning and she knew something was wrong. She had to leave.
"I have to go," she said softly as she got up, pulling her hood on. She left the puzzled and slightly dejected boy without a word, paid for her drink and carefully stepped out of the place. It was drizzling lightly. Her eyes were unfocused, her head still dizzy and her breaths short. She took a few tentative steps before stopping and leaning against a nearby brick wall, sweating profusely. There was another flash in her mind and a loud, metallic sound rang in her ears, almost deafening her. Her heart pumped painfully in her chest, and the cold rain made her shiver a little.
What's going on? Her thoughts were all jumbled up. So dizzy… That voice… so familiar… What did it mean?
As quickly as it came, the tormenting feeling in her head disappeared. She massaged her temples, taking in deep breaths to calm herself. When she opened her eyes, she suddenly caught sight of a blue glow behind one of the buildings around her. Her senses returning to normal, she detected a faint hint of strange energy from somewhere nearby. Her intuition was telling her to investigate and without second thoughts, she transformed into her other self and took to the sky, keeping a look out for any suspicious activity.
It didn't take her long to find her objective. The blue glow was coming from a park a few blocks away from her café. She landed and morphed back behind a tree, warily walking towards the sapphire hue hidden among a bunch of other flora. Now that she was nearer, she sensed something emitting an overwhelming amount of dark energy. Keeping her guard up, she silently crouched behind a thick bush and peered out.
What she saw made her eyes widen in shock. In the small clearing before her stood a man glowing in the bluish aura that had attracted her attention in the first place. He was holding a long, slim sword which appeared to be covered in red—Is that blood?— but it was his damp blue outfit which shocked her. He looked almost like the figure from her dream and his wet platinum hair reminded her of that arrogant demon hunter the Titans had met a few days ago. He was looking down at something else lying on the ground, but she couldn't see what it was.
"Looks like I'm still the better swordsman." Raven heard the victor say, his stiff voice giving her a flash of déjà vu. She saw him pick up another sword from the grass and, giving no warning, suddenly plunged it into the helpless thing below him. Disbelief and horror overwhelming her, she wanted to step out and intervene, but something within her was firmly telling her to stay out of it—especially with that mysterious man still there anyway. She had faced danger numerous times, but seeing someone actually being attacked mercilessly before her evoked the usually hidden desperation and panic within her. She felt the familiar prickling at the back of her neck and immediately tried to calm down, inhaling deeply and closing her eyes, clearing her mind.
She heard a strangled cry of pain just as she looked up and saw another familiar figure slowly rising in the air, this time covered in a reddish glow. It looked human, but she also noticed the folded wings on its back, the claw-like hands and the gleaming horns on its head. A stealthy movement in the trees caught her attention and she saw someone else slowly walking towards the blue-clad individual. The newcomer was bald and he was dressed in black, his strides slow but confident. She could not see his face, but the floating body had fallen back onto the ground and the creature—whatever it was—was still.
"I see the devil within you has awakened as well, dear brother," the man in blue said. His companion stood beside him and said, "You have the amulet. Leave him. We can't waste any more time."
"As much as I'd like to finish him, he's too weak to prove a challenge anyway," the man said, holding up something shiny in his hands. "This second key… How like Sparda to conceal it in such an obvious place… and who better to undo his spell than his own son?"
… His own son? The man's words echoed in Raven's head and she frowned in bewilderment. She didn't have enough time to continue thinking, however, because she caught sight of a number of the demonic creatures she and her comrades had battled the other day. There was no mistaking the misshapen stance and deadly looking reaping hooks. Something was shimmering a little further away and she could just make out the blurry figures of the two men before they vanished into thin air. She didn't know where the creatures had come from, but she couldn't risk them hurting other people in the vicinity.
Raven noticed the thing on the ground trying to move and almost instinctively, she gathered her focus and threw a shield of black energy around the helpless thing while telekinetically flinging away the approaching beasts. She took a quick scan around the place to make sure no one was around and then levitated forward. The snarling demons rushed in front to attack but she effortlessly threw them back again. There were only a few of them so it didn't take long for her to finish them off, grabbing their scythes out of their grasps and lodging them in their throats. As they disintegrated into dust, she turned to the thing she was shielding, lowering the dark barrier.
When she saw what—or who, to be more precise—it actually was, she paled visibly, feeling her hands begin to tremble. Red coat, silver hair and handguns… It wasn't a monster; it was Dante. There was a gaping wound on his stomach, blood smearing on his skin, pants, the grass, everything. The nauseating smell reached her nostrils and she had to bite back a choke.
"Oh Azar…" Raven swore, dropping to her knees and frantically feeling for a pulse. He was unconscious, but still breathing, although his heart rate was dangerously slow and his pulse faint. She laid a shaking hand on his wound and closed her eyes, trying hard to calm her chaotic mind to summon her healing abilities. She could already feel her powers uncontrollably snapping some of the branches of nearby trees. Being mentally trained ever since she was a child, she only took a moment to get her powers under control. She pressed her hand onto the wound, trying her best to ignore the sticky blood, and willing herself to absorb his pain, but to her surprise and dismay, nothing happened. Something within him appeared to be blocking her energy.
When her second try remained futile, she took a deep breath and focused again, this time attempting her last resort. Her violet eyes flared white and she chanted her usual mantra as she threw her cloak over him, engulfing both of them in black. She didn't take long to teleport him back to Titans' Tower and they reappeared just by the front door. She heard Beast Boy's excited voice as he battled Cyborg in one of their video games and Robin was talking to Starfire in the kitchen. Nobody seemed aware of her presence.
"Robin!" Raven cried out urgently. The young leader jumped and spun around. When he saw her bloody hands, he rushed to her immediately, his face worried. "Oh my God, Raven, are you alright?" he demanded. Behind him, Starfire gasped at the sight, her emerald eyes wide in shock.
"I'm fine… It's Dante… He's hurt…" Raven said, gesturing at the limp body by her side, still unable to stop her trembling hands. Cyborg and Beast Boy were already beside Starfire, gaping at the alarming sight. Noticing the wound was severe, Cyborg quickly picked the injured demon hunter up and headed to the infirmary. The other Titans trailed behind; Starfire extremely distraught, Beast Boy uncharacteristically at lost and Robin grim . He turned to Raven as they hurried down the hallway and asked, "What happened? Who attacked you?"
"Those creatures from the stadium," she answered quietly, wrinkling her nose distastefully at the smell of the blood on her hands. She briefly told them what happened just as they reached the infirmary. Cyborg set the unconscious Dante on the bed, taking off the holsters of his guns and his coat to further examine the gash. Robin was at the door, his masked eyes narrowed. "Starfire, Beast Boy and I will scout the city," he said. "If those things were at that park, they might appear somewhere else again. We can't risk the chance of people getting hurt. Raven, stay here with Cyborg. He might need your help."
"Better get yourself cleaned up, Rae," Cyborg said, noticing her dazed expression as the others left the room. He had hooked Dante up to some machines and was rummaging through the medical kits on the table and the cupboard nearby, taking out a clean, white cloth and some disinfectant for the wound. The beeps coming from one of the consoles were quick-paced. Her face almost vacant, Raven levitated to the sink and began scrubbing the red stains off her hands, her mind strangely blank. A sudden cry of surprise from her team mate made her look up, "What the…? Whoa, Raven, look!"
She turned to see Dante glowing with the same reddish hue at the park. The beeps accelerated, almost a fraction of a second between each sound. Remembering what she had seen, she quickly warned, "Cyborg, stand back. The same thing happened just before I found him… It could be dangerous…"
"Uh… I don't think so, Raven…" Cyborg replied in amazement, peering carefully at the subject before him. "Take a look."
She cautiously moved beside him to see and inhaled sharply when she saw the bloody tear on Dante's skin slowly narrowing, the wound sealing like magic. A few other scratches and bruises on his chest and arms were also gradually disappearing, but he remained unconscious. Raven's eyebrows furrowed. He's healing himself… So that's why my powers couldn't work on him before… Something within him must have been blocking them…
"Man," muttered Cyborg in disbelief, tentatively touching the newly formed tissue on the man's abdomen. There was still a faint trace of a scar. "Good as new… as if nothing happened at all…" He was checking one of the machines with a frown, the beeping now at a steady pace. "His heart rate's normal, but it looks like he's in a trance… Like you, Raven…"
She glared at him, wanting to tell him not to start with her, but he quickly continued, "I'm talking about the time when Adonis attacked you… and we all thought B.B. did it? Well, you were healing yourself as well, and then you kinda looked like this too…"
She studied the silver-haired man on the bed, her lavender eyes unconsciously resting on his bare chest, rising and falling steadily. She could sense a hint of strange energy radiating off him. It was foreign; like nothing she had ever felt before. "There's more to him than meets the eye," she said softly, raising her hands to tug her hood down. "I don't think he's even human… His aura is… unsettling…" A sudden wave of weariness washed over her and she took a step back, inhaling deeply as she ran her fingers down her face. Cyborg's watchful eye saw that and he laid a hand on her shoulder. "You should get some rest," he said kindly. "I'll take care of things here."
"Maybe I should help the others…" she trailed off, but he firmly pushed her to the door and replied, "They'll be fine. Robin can handle it. Get some rest, Raven."
She remained silent for a moment and then finally nodding and moving to the door. As she left, however, she turned back to look at Dante, her eyes settling on his peaceful face before moving to Cyborg. "We should monitor the room," she pointed out. "No matter what Robin says, I still think this guy might be trouble… Who knows exactly what he can do?"
"I'll be bypassing the infirmary security system through mine," he said. "Don't worry. I'll know if anything's happening in here." He watched Raven nod again before heading off to her room. He was a little puzzled by her behaviour just now, but a shrill beep broke his train of thoughts. He looked at the tiny screen on his arm and saw Robin, with Starfire and Beast in the background. The Titan leader looked serious but relieved. "How's everything going on your side, Cyborg?" he asked.
"Uh… something weird happened, actually… I'll tell you about it when you get back… Dante's still unconscious, but he's stable. Did you find anything in the city?"
"No," Robin answered with a sigh. "We checked out that park Raven was talking about and found traces of a fight, but no other clues—just some blood on the ground. Star had a good look around from the air but things are pretty quiet. Seems like those creatures didn't show up anywhere else, fortunately…"
"That's good news," concurred Cyborg. "I'll beef up the surveillance on the city, though. Better not take any chances."
"Where's Raven?"
"She's in her room. I told her to get some rest. She seemed pretty shaken just now…"
"… She looked fine to me before we left."
"Well, she was definitely acting a little strange a few minutes ago… Who knows what she saw at the park, huh? It must have been nasty…"
Robin frowned, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'll talk to her tomorrow," he concluded. "We'll take another look around the city before we head back. Meantime… just keep an eye on Dante… I don't want him leaving until we get some answers…"
Cyborg nodded in affirmation and gave him the thumbs up. "Will do."
Steam rose in the air as the hot droplets of water rained onto her pale skin, but Raven was staring at her palms even as she inhaled the moist, refreshing air. Somehow she could still see the stains of red on her hands; a familiar symbol glowing faintly behind the smear. Her eyes widening slightly, she blinked and then it was gone. She had washed the blood away but the rusty scent still seemed to linger around.
Suddenly aware of the flow of water around her, Raven reached out to turn off the shower, her violet hair dripping and the gem on her forehead glistening. She leaned her forehead against the cool, tiled wall before her, staring blankly at the swirling water by her feet. The images of the sword protruding from his body formed in her head; the puddles of blood on the grass, the slippery, nauseating feel of the red substance… She shivered even though she was warm from the shower.
The gradual chill on her naked skin roused her from her thoughts and she straightened up, remembering where she was. The blue towel by the door levitated to her and she wrapped it around herself, floating back into her room. As she dressed into her usual black leotard, she was troubled by the stubborn, disturbing pictures still in her mind. She was also a little confused. She had faced danger countless of times, but it was worrying how she couldn't get her mind off the incident that evening. Maybe it was because the sense dread and helplessness within her reminded her of that haunting moment a few years ago; when she watched as her team-mates fell under the power of her father, herself useless—powerless—to stop his actions. And the same thing had happened in that strange dream she had before…
She spent some time drying her hair before a sudden wave of weariness washed over her and she collapsed onto her bed with a contented sigh. The books carelessly strewn around her were placing themselves back onto the shelf they belonged, her prized Book of Azar silently sliding under the bed. She closed her eyes, her tired mind still replaying the happenings of the evening slowly, her arms hugged tightly around the cosy pillow under her head…
… When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing, not in her room, but in a familiar courtyard of ivory. Flocks of pigeons fluttered about, pecking at the grains of sand and seeds on the ground. A figure in white stood nearby, a cooing bird on its delicate hand. Even before she saw its face, Raven knew who it was. Azarath might be in a different dimension, but there was no mistaking the warm aura of Arella. Her voice was ever calm, with a hint of the quiet confidence she always possessed, "Hello, Raven."
"… Mother," the reply was more out of respect than surprise. "Um… how are we in Azarath?"
"You're asleep, dear child. We're in your dreams," Arella said, letting the bird on her hand fly away as she reached up to pull her hood down, revealing lavender hair much like Raven's own. The dark Titan took a moment to look at the buildings around her, a tug of remorse in her heart. No matter how much she was supposed to suppress it, she couldn't deny that she missed her childhood home. So many places, so familiar…
"You have grown," her mother noted with a tone of pride, seemingly pleased. "But have not changed much, I see…"
"I didn't know we could… talk like this," Raven admitted slowly. Arella gave her a small smile. "Only when necessary," she said shortly. "But this isn't a social visit… There is something you should know about that man in your care…"
At her words, Raven perked up immediately, her full attention on her mother. "You mean Dante? What can you tell me about him?" she said interestedly.
"He is of great importance…" Arella said quietly. "You must watch over him, my child. Nothing must become of him, for his destiny is yet to be fulfilled."
"… Are you saying I'm supposed to protect him?" Raven's eyebrows shot upwards in disbelief, the tone of her voice going uncharacteristically higher.
"To sum it up, yes."
"But I don't like him, mother. He's really… full of himself…"
"I did not say you had to like him…" her mother replied patiently. "You just have to make sure nothing happens to him. After all, you have already saved him once…"
Raven was silent for a moment, suppressing the urge to scowl. She wanted to object fervently, but the dangerous glint in Arella's eyes changed her mind. Maybe it was better if she didn't say anything… She could probably get the other Titans to look out for Dante—in her place, of course. Instead of saying anymore about it, she changed the subject, wanting to dig up more information about the mysterious guy. "So who is he anyway?" she asked. "I couldn't heal him before… and then that crazy thing in the infirmary… He's not human, is he…?"
"No. Is it not obvious by now, considering what happened in the park? That young man… He is the son of Sparda."
Raven's eyes popped wide open at once. "What?" She gaped.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured that out by now, my dear," Arella said, rather astonished. "After what you heard at the park, I thought things should be quite clear to you by now…"
Raven massaged the bridge of her nose wearily, slowly coming to terms with what her mother had said. The more she thought about it, the more she realised how dense she had been. Of course! She remembered what that man at the park had said… "Who better to undo his spell than his own son?" And he had called Dante 'brother'… Was the man the 'someone' Starfire said he was looking for? That definitely explained why she couldn't seem to absorb any of his pain—all the other people she had healed before were human, but a demon like him probably had his own powers blocking hers.
"But that's impossible," she objected, a frown on her face. "The legend of Sparda… That was millenniums ago. How could Dante…? Are you telling me he's been around for centuries?"
"Don't be silly, child. The blood of the devil runs in his veins, but he is as human as anybody else…" Arella hesitated for a moment, as if trying to find the right words. "He is… much like you…"
Raven stared at her silently. Her eyes narrowed a little and she turned away, a cold feeling slowly creeping up her spine. "You mean he's a half-breed…" It was more of a bitter statement than a question. "What, did his father go around raping women too?"
"Actually, no. Sparda's relationship with his human bride was somewhat more… affectionate than you would expect… Although it is not to say that it was a happy family…"
"Beats ours any day," Raven muttered under her breath. Her thoughts reverted to the other man she had seen in the park—the one in blue. His familiarity was unsettling. She immediately remembered her hazy dream that evening. Was it just a coincidence, or was there a more sinister, hidden meaning? Was someone playing around with her mind? "Mother…" she started in a slightly worried voice. "I… I had a strange dream…"
"Dear child, there is no need to be concerned." The expression on Arella's face was of amusement and there was a surprisingly playful twinkle in her eyes. "It is perfectly normal for someone, at your age especially, to have… well, arousing dreams like that… There really is no need to be embarrassed…"
Taken back at her unexpected words, Raven stared at her again, this time in bewilderment and utter confusion. She took a minute to realise what her mother was actually referring to and despite how much she tried not to, she blushed a little. To tell the truth, she had already forgotten about that other dream... "Actually, I wasn't talking about that," she said flatly, wanting desperately to pull her hood on to cover her flushing face. "I had another dream, just now, a few hours ago. There was a man… He looked so much like the person I saw at the park; the one who attacked Dante. And he said something about my 'true destiny' and how I won't be able to stop what's about to happen… Do you know what he meant?"
"Dreams are often just what they are, Raven; images that do not mean much. They are not premonitions or visions of the future."
"But that man… When I saw him, it was… I had this… weird feeling in me, like I'd met him before, and I felt the same way with Dante, at the stadium…" The pensive look on Arella's face made Raven pause for a moment. Something was telling her that she appeared to be avoiding the question. A chilling thought suddenly flashed in her head, making her eyes widen slightly. Was it possible that…? "Mother," she said urgently, a painful sense of dread slowly overwhelming her as she voiced the next question. "… Was there another prophecy?"
Arella's gaze on her was one of melancholy, but she did not answer. "Was there?" Raven repeated, her heart turning cold. "What else did the monks of Azarath see in my future? Please, you have to tell me!"
"I am sorry… There is nothing more I can say," Arella stated sadly, but her eyes spoke volumes. She reached out to embrace her daughter, her arms protectively locked around her, as if not wanting to let her go. "But remember, Raven, no matter what happens, you will always have the love of your people," she murmured before reluctantly pulling back. "And mine as well, my sweet child."
Raven watched, uncharacteristically distressed, as Arella stepped back into the flock of white birds around her. The last thing she saw was the quiet, loving smile on her mother's face before her vision gradually blurred and an abyss of darkness slowly engulfed her. Even as she fell into a deeper sleep, she heard the echo of a faint voice, "Be safe…"
Author's Note: In case you don't know, Goth is the name of that guy from Blackfire's party. I was quite surprised by Raven's relationship with him in Teen Titans, Go! and she didn't seem to mind going out with him. I had lots of fun writing Arella too; she looks cool and it's a shame she didn't have a larger role in the cartoon.
I know nothing much happened between Raven and Dante in this chapter, but I'll be sure to get on to the blossoming of their relationship in the next chapter. There will definitely be more interactions between them soon. :)
Also, I hope I managed to keep Dante in character during that fight with Vergil. What do you think?