A/N: Alright, got this one out pretty quickly, comparatively speaking. I don't have much to say up top this time, so on to the reviews!
RandomAnon: You make an excellent point; that scene was actually slated for deletion, but since my memory is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine, sometimes things just kind of go under my radar. I probably won't delete it now, though, since it's more of a redundancy than a detraction.
Kotomi101: Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely keep an eye on those things in the future. As for the clothes, though, I've always disliked describing outifts in overt detail. Unless it adds to a scene, I prefer to leave what the characters are wearing mostly ambiguous.
Imouto's mad house: I have read Transition, and it was fantastic. Also, don't worry, we'll get to see Raven in all her demonic glory when the time comes.
Legion Breacher: If they're ice cream skittles, I accept.
VII
"C'mon, tell me." Jinx pleaded her only female friend.
"No." Raven told her again. "Now let me focus." She continued mixing the chemical compound they had been assigned to make, levitating the ingredients for accuracy and ease of access.
"Why not?" Jinx whined. "I told you mine." She had already hurriedly finished her own mixture, and while it did pass, science just wasn't able to hold her attention the way magic did.
"You'll find out at the end of the week." Raven said.
"But who knows how long that'll take?" Jinx asked melodramatically. "Come on, is it Batgirl? She's around our age group, and she's got kind of a dark aesthetic."
"No, she's a bit, hyperactive for my tastes."
"Catwoman? She's pretty badass, and she's not afraid to put somebody's skull under her boot."
"No."
"Okay, what about… Wonder Woman? Amazon princess and most powerful woman on the planet? Actually, could you beat Wonder Woman in a fight?"
"I don't know, and I'm not eager to try." Raven said.
"Fair enough; can't say I'd wanna fight her, either." Jinx agreed. "How about Zatanna, then? You're both good with magic."
"You know, I met Ms. Zatara once. She displayed extreme prejudice against my people, then had the nerve to ask my mother if she would like to be killed rather than continue her marriage to my father, and raising me and my siblings. She saw it as an act of mercy."
"But isn't your mom a demon?"
"She is now." Raven explained. "But she was human before she met my father, and let him turn her into a demon in order to be together."
"Okay, note to self: do not bring up Zatanna again." Jinx said.
"I would appreciate that."
"So, you're really just not gonna tell me who you're going as?" Jinx steered the conversation back to it's original point.
"Jinx, the Halloween party is only a few days away. I promise you'll survive not knowing my choice of costume until then."
"Uugghh! You suuuck." Jinx groaned.
"I'll remember that the next time you need transportation." Raven smirked.
"Well now, let's not be too hasty." Jinx said. "There's not a lot within walking distance of the school, and the ol' lambor-feeties aren't built for road trips."
"…I'm going to pretend you didn't say that to me." Raven deadpanned.
"Fine, be that way, ya killjoy." Jinx crossed her arms, then immediately went to tapping on the table as she thought of other things to talk about. "Sooo… is Mr. Jacobs back, yet?"
"Not yet; he's on an indeterminate leave, so I have no idea when he'll return."
"Well, I hope it's somewhat soon; it's bad for the learning process when you take too long a break between lessons."
"How is it," Raven asked, "that you are able to fluidly switch between speaking sophomorically and, well, it's not quite proper eloquence, but it's certainly a step more sophisticated."
"Oh that? That's just what happens when you stop givin' a shit." Jinx explained. "I mean, sure, I could articulate, pontificate, expatiate, and plenty of other '-ate's', but what would be the point? To make other people think I'm smart? Who cares what they think? I know what I'm doing and what I want in life, and that's all that matters."
"Of course, that being said, I don't condemn people for being well spoken. If it makes you happy to never use a word with less than three syllables, more power to ya. Like you; you speak plenty intelligently, but you're not a pompous ass about it. It's like listening to a professional lecture, but only on my favorite subjects."
"Um… thank you?" Raven semi-asked, before completing the last step in her assignment. "Mr. Cell." The teacher looked up from his computer. "I've finished."
"Wonderful." He smiled, walking over to examine her work. He took a sample and inserted it into a handheld device, marking down the readings it gave. "Excellent work, Raven; a perfect score." She nodded in acknowledgement, leaning back in her seat as she waited out the last few minutes of class, shutting down Jinx's continued attempts to pry information from her.
As the day went on, Jinx kept trying different methods to get Raven to tell her who she was going to be for Halloween. If it were anyone else, Raven would have gotten fed up with it within minutes, but instead, Jinx's seemingly boundless creativity only served to amuse Raven.
Eventually, Jinx did give up, if only because she needed to finish up her own costume. Interestingly enough, she hadn't spotted a hint of Raven's costume, despite the fact they shared a room and did nearly everything together.
The theme of the party was Heroes and Villains, as cliché as that was, and Raven held a surprising amount of knowledge regarding the Justice League and their enemies, as well as a lot of the solo acts.
Jinx thought about what Raven said earlier about Zatanna, and it got her wondering again just who Raven's family was. She wasn't going to pry, of course; she understood family issues just fine, and even though Raven had mentioned them, she seemed to deliberately avoid talking about them in detail.
"I'm sure I'll find out eventually." Jinx said to herself as she hung her costume up in the closet, ready to wear on Friday. She heard a knock at the door, and was greeted by Melanie.
"Hello, Jinx. Would you happen to know where Raven is?" She looked around the room, finding no sign of the girl.
"I haven't seen her in about an hour." Jinx answered. "Is this another mission?" She'd been wanting to get out and do something again.
"You could call it that." Melanie said. "As you know, you and Raven are HIVE's only magic users; and a witch and demon to boot. And given that this is Halloween, we, as in the staff of HIVE, were wondering if you two would like to take the lead on decorations for the rest of the week?"
"Oh, Hell yeah!" Jinx exclaimed. "I'd definitely be down for that, and I'm sure Rae is, too; I'll ask when I see her."
"Thanks, Jinx." Melanie said. "I know you two'll do a great job."
"No problem."
By Thursday, Jinx was getting antsy; being intentionally denied information was one of her biggest pet peeves, even for something as small as this, but there wasn't a lot she could do about it in this case. There was no equipment to hack, no files to steal, just Raven being her enigmatic self.
Decorating was a good distraction, though; and she was genuinely proud of her and Raven's work. Most of the school now resembled a haunted house; lights would dim and flicker randomly, shadows would move in peripheral vision, and the atmosphere would spontaneously generate cold spots, as if ghosts were moving about the building. On top of that, whispers and incoherent mutterings could be heard when one was alone, and there were realistic blood stains, spider webs scattered around, and unnatural pockets of darkness that radiated pure dread in close proximity.
The main attraction, though, was the gym. Being nearly entirely Raven's doing, she claimed it was modeled after the throne room in the palace of Hell, and Jinx didn't doubt she was telling the truth.
The room itself was changed to look like it was made of obsidian; the walls, the floor, the ceiling, everything was reflective black. What wasn't obsidian, the tables, chairs, chandelier, and even the throne, was made from a strange red metal Jinx had never seen before. The surface looked fluid and flowing, but at a touch, it was solid and smooth. Visions of tortured souls adorned the walls, flaming skeletal bats clung to the roof, and a layer of fog covered the floor.
However, the most impressive addition was the dais. The red metal of the throne was accented in gold, and there was a constant fall of lava pouring behind it. At least, that's what people would see; it was all basic illusion magic, but that didn't make the end results less amazing, and as long as no one was actively working to dispel it, it would hold until they decided to take it down. So busy was she with admiring the work, that she almost didn't notice its architect.
"What do you think?" Raven asked.
"This is seriously fuckin' cool." Jinx said. "So this is what Trigon's throne room looks like?"
"Well, I left out the torture devices, for obvious reasons, as well as the actual size of the throne." Raven said. "And the rest of the decorating team insisted on the fog, but other than that, it's an exact replica."
"I can't wait to see it tomorrow when we put up the jack-o-lanterns."
"It will be quite the sight." Raven agreed.
"By the way, what's all the red stuff?"
"Hm? Oh, you mean the furniture; it's called blood iron. Hell's monarchs, and really, demons in general, have always had a flair for dramatics, and what better way to show off your power than to sit on a throne literally crafted from the blood of your enemies?"
"That's pretty damn metal." Jinx said. "No pun intended."
"I don't believe that for a second."
When classes let out the next day, the students were itching to get back to their rooms and change for the party. Even though it wouldn't start for a couple of hours, everyone was excited to show off their costumes. The majority had dressed as villains, but there was still a sizeable amount of Justice League outfits in appearance.
"It's eerie how it almost doesn't look any different than a normal day." Jinx said. She currently sported a red and black skin-tight jester's outfit, white face paint, and had a comically oversized mallet slung over her shoulder.
"I have to concur." Raven said, giving Jinx a once-over. "You make a convincing Harley Quinn."
"Thanks!" Jinx said. "I'm surprised I haven't seen more of her, not that anyone here besides me could pull off her special brand of chaotic energy."
"Of that, I have no doubt." Raven, as promised, still hadn't donned her own costume, as she was waiting until the actual party for the debut. As one might expect for a demon on Halloween, nearly everyone was wondering who she would be going as. Some speculated she would just go as herself, being the most terrifying entity in any room. "Where are Mammoth and Gizmo?"
"They're playing pool with Billy and See-more; they're dressed as Bane and Mr. Freeze."
"You've all decided to dress as enemies of Batman?" Raven asked. Though she would die before admitting it, the idea that they had left her out of their group costume idea stung a little, even though she'd already chosen her own costume.
"Yeah, but this was just coincidence; none of us knew what the others were going as until we'd already decided." Jinx said, not noticing Raven's posture relax just a fraction. "What do want to do until the party starts?"
"We could go see a movie." Raven offered.
"Yeah, no offense to your wonderful suggestion, but I think I'm done with movie theatres for a while." Jinx said.
"Fair enough." Raven chuckled. "We could simply relax here; I think I'd like to learn how to play that game." She gestured to Mammoth and Gizmo again.
"Alright." Jinx agreed. "I'll teach you how to play like a pro in no time."
As six o'clock rolled around, the students all began heading for the gym; eager to start one of HIVE's two real parties it threw annually. Aside from the staff, and those who had helped with decorations, everyone had been barred from entering the gym until now, in order to keep it a surprise, and the collective reaction was nothing if not 'surprise'.
There wasn't a single jaw that didn't hit the floor as everyone took in their surroundings. Even Jinx was still impressed once again as she walked in. All orthodox light sources had been forgone in favour of the jack-o-lanterns, now properly suspended throughout the air, as well as the bats and the lava-fall. There were two tables on either side of the room, each full to bursting with food and drinks, including one enormous candy bowl each, which most people went to immediately after getting over their shock.
It didn't go without notice, however, that one student in particular hadn't made an appearance, yet.
"You guys seen Raven?" Jinx asked Mammoth and Gizmo.
"Not recently." Gizmo said.
"Mm mm." Mammoth said, trying not to talk while eating. He finished what he had before continuing. "You guys did a hell of a job in here, though."
"Actually, this was all Rae." Jinx corrected. "I did most of the stuff in the halls, but it doesn't really compare to this."
"I'd have to agree." A voice Jinx really didn't want to hear sounded behind her. "Don't get me wrong, walking through the school alone is a pretty visceral experience, but this, this is somethin' else entirely."
"What do you want, Cryo?"
"Well, I did come over to see if Raven was around, but I see no harm in getting to know her teammates, as well."
"Trust me, I can think of plenty of reasons I don't want to get to know you." Jinx said. "Ya know, I don't think you really have the physique to pull off Superman."
"My thoughts exactly." A voice said behind Cryo.
"Oh my gods." Jinx said. "I was close."
"You were close." Raven agreed. "You simply guessed the wrong bat." Raven was, indeed, dressed as a member of the Bat-family, but it wasn't Batgirl; the specific insignia, the visible armour plating, heavy combat boots, and a glare that could melt reinforced titanium even without the ability to shoot lasers from her eyes could only belong to the patriarch of Gotham's resident group of vigilantes. And of course, being Raven, everything was as pitch black as all her other attire, as opposed to the Dark Knight's choice of slate grey.
"Well you certainly know how to make an entrance like the original." Cryo observed. "I'd say Jinx's comment about not filling the boots you wear applies to you, too, but you definitely don't need Batman's bulk to be just as intimidating."
"I'm aware of that." Raven said, her flat tone offset by the twin red lights shining from the eye holes in her cowl. "Would you mind going literally anywhere else? I'd like to enjoy my evening with my friends."
"Fine, fine." Cryo backed away, dissolving into the crowd.
"Well, as much of a creep as he is, at least he goes away when you tell him." Jinx said.
"Now if only he would stay away." Raven said, briefly wondering if it would be worth the repercussions to break the school's rather strict (in her opinion) rule against using psychic manipulation on other students.
"So, how come you know all about the JL, but you had no idea who Robin was?" Jinx asked.
"The few times I ever met with the Justice League was when they came to Hell on business for whatever reason; family was not a common subject of conversation."
"Makes sense to me." Mammoth said. "You guys see that?" He pointed over by one of the candy bowls.
"I see Melanie and Mr. Cell talking to a bald man in a hooded robe that I've never seen before." Raven remarked. "Is that significant?"
"The guy they're talking to is Lex Luthor." Jinx explained. "He's one of the richest guys in the country; but what is he doing here?"
"Probably checking his 'investment'." Gizmo guessed. "He's the school's number one financial contributor, it'd make sense that he wanted to make sure everything's alright here."
"We should go say hello." Jinx suggested.
"Why?" Gizmo asked.
"Networking." Jinx said. "We're likely gonna meet a lot of powerful people in this line of work, and it's best to get in good with them early on."
"Well, usually I try to- oh, hey guys." Melanie greeted Jinx and her team as they came over, and introduced everyone.
"Ah, so these are the new recruits you've been telling me about?" Lex's voice was a deep baritone an octave or two below Mammoth's, delivered in an almost posh accent skirting the barrier between suave and snobby. "I've been looking forward to meeting you four."
"You sure you don't just mean her?" Gizmo pointed at Raven.
"On the contrary." Lex said. "Admittedly, she is the one that originally caught my interest, but I found myself quite fascinated with the rest of you as well the longer I observed your team. As a matter of fact, I'd like to extend to you an invitation for candidacy in the LexCorp private security force once you graduate."
"Wow." Jinx said, taking the card he handed to her. "Well, with all due respect, uh… sir, but I'm gonna have to decline. I appreciate the offer, believe me, but the whole reason I'm here is to get a foot in the door as a freelancer. Plus, I don't handle stagnation well; I need to be on the move."
"I suppose it's your choice. The offer stands, either way." He frowned, but didn't push the subject.
"May I ask who you're dressed as?" Raven asked, wanting to change the subject.
"It isn't obvious? I'm the Grim Reaper."
"That's a rather inaccurate portrayal." Raven stated bluntly. Shadows extended in her hand, and seconds later an image of a pale-skinned girl about seventeen stood in her palm. She was dressed in common gothic wear and held a black umbrella. "This is Death."
Lex studied the figure with skepticism. "You're telling me you've met Death in person?"
"More or less." Raven said. "She is essentially omnipresent and nearly omnipotent, and is more than likely aware of this conversation right now." Lex looked around the room slowly, as if thinking he might actually spot her. "At any rate, your costume doesn't really fit the theme of this party, as she is neither a hero nor a villain."
"I always saw it as a matter of perspective." Lex said, not conceding the point, but not arguing further.
Anticipating an awkward silence, Melanie spoke up. "I'm glad you guys are here; I was going to wait until after the party, but the higher ups are getting a little impatient." Realizing they weren't alone, Melanie turned to Lex. "Um, Mr. Luthor, would you mind giving us a moment? Classified information, and all."
"Of course, of course." Lex stepped away, and Melanie looked back to the others.
"For the past two weeks, we've been gathering Intel on some… otherworldly activity on the south side of Jump."
"Otherworldly?" Jinx questioned. "Does that mean aliens or magic?"
"We believe it's a demon."
"Are they hoping we'll exorcize them?" Raven asked.
Melanie shook her head. "Technically, there's no contract, or even an official client; this is all within HIVE. Normally, Mr. Jacobs would handle this sort of job, as that's part of his official duties, but as you know, he's unavailable. Luckily, the school does keep something of an emergency fund for this kind of occasion." Looking directly at Raven now, she continued. "If you're not okay with this, feel free to say no."
"It shouldn't be a problem." Raven said. "Where exactly are we headed?"
"Are you sure we shouldn't have brought the guys with us?" Jinx asked, breaking the silence that had befallen the two of them on their search. "I mean, they are part of the team, and if we're gonna be dealing with demons in the future, they'll need the experience."
"If we have further run ins with demonic entities, we can bring them along, but I want to know what kind of demons will likely be summoned in this city; I haven't quite gotten a feel for which way the spiritual energy flows here."
"I thought I was team leader?" Jinx mock pouted.
"You are, but I'm the expert on this subject." Raven said without missing a beat. She stopped suddenly, then, and Jinx had to backtrack a few steps from having kept walking. "We're here."
"Yeah, no kidding." Jinx agreed. "This magic here is fuckin' palpable." Their apparent destination was an abandoned office building that looked ready to collapse in on itself. The magical energy around them was potent enough that the air shimmered in the corner of their eyes, and neither girl doubted that at least some of it was keeping the structure together.
The two of them entered the building tentatively, and nothing happened at first, but a few seconds later, Raven dropped from her position in the air, landing on all fours with a grunt that leveled out into a low growl. Jinx went to help her up, but Raven waved off her attempts. As she stood, a bead of sweat was visible on her jaw where the cowl of her costume didn't cover her face.
"What the hell was that?" Jinx asked concernedly.
"A spell designed to weaken demons." Raven said. "Luckily, it's been modified to target one in particular, or else the effects probably would have been worse. That being said, flight, teleportation, and most of my psychic abilities are currently out of the question."
"And I'm guessing the one it's actually intended for is gonna be someone pretty powerful to need a spell of this magnitude."
"Most likely." Raven said. "Though, there is a slight chance that whoever put this up is merely overcompensating."
"Not with my luck they won't." Jinx retorted. "We goin' up or down?" She asked as they came to the stairwell.
"Definitely down. The summoning occurred in the basement."
"Certainly more ostentatious than I would have figured." Jinx remarked. "Do you suppose that's it, Rae?"
"Yes, I do believe the glowing magic circle surrounded by pillars of light and housing a demon is what we're looking for."
"Who the fuck are you two?" The demon in question spoke up in a gravelly English accent. He wasn't especially large, even compared to Raven and Jinx, and he was more bird than humanoid, dark black feathers covering most of his body.
"Hello, Stolas." Raven greeted him.
"Lady Raven." Stolas nodded, as if he hadn't just spoken to her the way he had.
"Raven will do just fine." Raven corrected him.
"Hold up, you're Stolas?" Jinx questioned.
"The one and only." He bowed, or tried to, anyway, as much as he could move. "It's been a few decades since a human that didn't summon me recognized my name. Well, mostly human."
"What do you mean?" Jinx squinted her eyes.
"You gonna let me outta here or what?" He asked, ignoring her question. "I was in the middle of a rather interesting bit of history when I got pulled up here and asked for dating advice of all things."
"Could you describe the one who brought you here?" Raven asked.
"Love to, but he kept himself covered head to toe during our meeting."
"Wait, I thought you taught people about astronomy and poison and stuff like that." Jinx chimed in.
"It's been a few thousand years since I had a proper class." Stolas said. "I've had plenty of time to study other subjects, and if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to that studying."
"Very well." Raven said. She extended her arms, channeling magic into two of the four bright white pillars around the circle, overloading them to the point of bursting. She was sent flying into a wall, and again waved off Jinx when she tried to help her. "I'm going to rest here for a moment. Would you, ugh, my head… would you mind taking care of the other two?"
Jinx nodded, and copied what she saw Raven do, pushing her power into the white light. However, when these overloaded, they didn't explode, they simply dissipated, and Stolas seemingly followed suit.
"You'd think that a knowledge demon would know how to use manners." Jinx said, walking back over to Raven. "Can you even walk at this point?"
In lieu of a verbal answer, Raven grit her teeth and forced herself into her noticeably shaking legs, leaning against the wall for support.
"Yeah, this ain't gonna work." Jinx said. "We need to get you the hell outta here."
Raven nodded. "I'll recover much faster outside the-" At Raven's cut off, Jinx turned around to see what the problem was.
"Ah, shit."
A/N: Sorry to everyone who wanted to see Jinx's plan go into action; this ended up being a lot longer than I thought.
The good news is, based on the responses to my last question, I will write the harem fic, but it needs to be fleshed out in order to do it any sort of justice.