Bride of Pagan Blood- Chapter Three- An Illusion of Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans. If I did, I would CERTAINLY not cancel the show. Stupid Cartoon Network people…. Anyway, enough ranting from me. You people have been badgering me enough about this, so on with the show! I mean, fic!


As Raven's pain grew, Robin, through their psychic connection, could feel her immense pain. As he burst open the door, he found Raven kneeling on the ground, her hair suddenly long, clutching her head. She looked up at him, obviously frightened and hiding something from him. Robin put his hand on her shoulder, of which the fabric was… ripped away?

"Raven…?" he asked, his sentence dying in his mouth. Her shoulder glowed red, and the old Mark of Scath tattoo glowed and pulsated on a steady, evil rhythm.

"Robin, there's something I need you to know about," she said quietly. Her violet eyes were drenched in pain and fear.

"My father is a demon. You know that." Robin nodded.

"There is a second part to the prophecy, the one that nearly cost everyone their lives. A cult called the Church of Blood worshipped my sire for thousands of years. And now, that my true powers have been awakened…"

She was interrupted by the loud and annoying sound of the alarm.

"Tell me later, Raven. You should stay home," Robin said in a soft voice, but his tone was urgent.

"No. I'm coming with you."

The two rushed into the main room of the Tower, the realized they were grasping hands, and they quickly dropped them.

"Nice to see you two finally showed up. There's a burglary down by the wharf, in the Diamond Warehouse," Cyborg said with a huff. "Let's go."

As the Titans advanced on the upcoming enemies, consisting of Kyd Wykkyd and See-more, a shattering sound was heard, and the broken glass of the windows fell sharply to the ground. The five heroes looked up to see an ominous, red cloud of smoke billowing through the cracks. A tall, lean, and imposing figure, floating on some device, was seen as a shadow through the thick smoke.

"Hello, Titans," came a sly and sinister-sounding voice.

"Brother Blood?" Cyborg asked in disbelief.

"Yes. I have come for, well figure it out."

"If it is diamonds you want, you will never take them!" Starfire cried defiantly.

"Oh no, lovie, it's not diamonds I want. However, it happens to be a gem. A gem of great value, as well." His mouth curled into a twisted smile.

"Well, whatever it is, you're not gonna take it, dude!" Beast Boy's eyes flashed with fire. "C'mon, get him!" As he leapt forward at the unmoving Blood, morphing into a tiger, he was knocked backwards by a flash of strange red light emanating from Blood's cybernetic hands. The young shapeshifter fell against the stone floor and did not move. But as he stirred, he and his friends looked up at the cult leader, awaiting his next words.

"Surrender the gem to me now," Blood spoke, breaking the horrible silence. Suddenly, it hit Robin. He remembered what the evil mastermind demanded. Again! He cried out in his mind. The gem is not a physical stone! It's…

"Azarath Metri-" the mantra of the young empath was cut off by a fierce blast of sonic energy, created by Blood's metallic hands. She screamed in agony, but she did not hit the ground as Beast Boy had done. Instead, she hung suspended in the air, being blasted mercilessly by the vicious and cruel villain. As the energy from the shots increased, her writhing stopped, and she hung limply in the atmosphere, blood dripping down to the floor below. The Titans gasped in horror.

"RAVEN!" cried Robin, his fists clenching. Rushing at Blood as Beast Boy had done, he attempted to attack Brother Blood with his bo-staff and managed to hit him in the temple. Reeling back in pain, Brother Blood recoiled, but sent Robin flying with a powerful mind blast. With their leader knocked out and sprawled on the slate floor, the Titans could not move, but only look on as Blood transported himself, Raven, and See-more by instructing Kyd Wykkyd to use his power, of opening trans-dimensional doorways.

Robin, as he pulled himself to his feet, could only watch as Raven disappeared before his masked eyes. In anguish, he sunk back on the ground and pounded his gloved fist on the ground. Although he faced the Titans, they could not see the silent tears streaming down from his blue eyes.


"…Ugh… Where am I?"

Even before regaining full consciousness, the young empath felt something remarkably cold around her neck. Trying to pry it off, but finding she could not, Raven opened her violet eyes; the dim light in the room she was in took a while to get used to. She gazed around the room. Around her, the area was built in a gothic style, with stained glass windows portraying scenes from long, long ago. And in one, she noted, showed a young girl, with long, violet hair, being sacrificed to a fiery demon. She gasped, suddenly realizing where she was. She now felt the shackles that bound her to a platform- bound by wrists, ankles, and neck, made of cold, unbreakable steel.

"Well, now, aren't you a pretty sight there, Raven?" Raven clenched her teeth together, trying to contain her rage against this cruel and heartless man, her captor.

Control your anger, Raven. Focus. He wants your anger, your rage, your bottled emotion. Contain it. It's what he wants.

"Don't think you can resist, young one." Brother Blood walked over to the platform, and with his metal hands, brushed away a lock of indigo hair. She flinched, and said,

"Don't touch me! You cannot use me- I am not a tool! My friends will find me, Blood. Mark my words!" Her voice was angry and her tone sharp. Blood did not appear to be the least bit intimidated by the half-demon's threats.

"You will become my bride, Raven. The prophecy states it. The prophecy does not lie. You brought about the end of the world, Raven. I will not lose you to your miniscule and stupid ideas!" His tone rose to that of fury, and he slashed the young beauty across the face with a sacrificial druid's knife. Raven groaned, feeling first sharp pain, and then the steady drip, drip, drip of her life's warm blood echoing across the ancient temple's floor.

Raven felt more pain as Blood slashed her again; this time, her eyes closed, unable to bear the immense pain any longer. With a muffled cry, she slipped into unconsciousness.

Blood smiled, and withdrew his knife. He flounced out of the prison chamber, tasting Raven's blood on his knife…


MEANWHILE… (I just love doing that)


Back at Titans Tower, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire tried to lift Robin's mood by taking care of the dishes, criminal assignments, etc. Starfire thought Raven's disappearance, although tragic, was a good thing, because Raven could not take "her boy" away from her. As she approached the melancholy Boy Wonder, she could hear him mutter,

"Why did I screw up like that? I should have saved her! She means so much to me, and I lost her for good! How will I ever be full again?"

Star looked crestfallen, realizing that she and Robin were not to be. Robin noticed her arrival as soon as she turned away.

"Star? What are you doing? Did you hear anything I said?" He looked at her face; her luminous emerald eyes were downcast, and her golden hands hung limply at her side.

"No, Robin," she lied. "I did not."

Robin looked at his friend for a moment, and then turned away. "Star, I hope you understand. I have to find Raven. She's my…friend." With a loud shout, the masked hero announced,

"I'm going to find her! And no one is going to stop me!" Beast Boy tried to protest, but he knew it would not work on Robin.

He remembered when he and Raven had fallen in love a year ago, when they shared a kiss… it was too distant now to remember everything, when he turned into a beast and almost killed her, all the moments they had ever shared flew in his mind. Even as Robin spoke, he ignored his leader, and remembered that one moment, when he called her an angel, and their lips locked… How he longed for that memory to become real again!

I have strong feelings for her too. I have to go after her! It's my duty! I won't fail her again! thought Beast Boy. The shapeshifter would not be stopped by anything. If only he could rescue her!


Back at the Church of Blood…

Brother Blood sat upon the gilded throne in the main chamber of the temple. He looked every now and then, at the beautiful girl lying still on the dais hundred of feet away. Even though they had met before, Blood was blinded and shocked by her feminine beauty and immense power.

"The greatest cult leader and necromancer in the universe and the offspring of the embodiment of evil himself. A wonderful union!" Blood said aloud to no one in particular.

"Father Sebastian, sir," a priest called down below. "Sebastian" looked at his servant with a bored expression.

"What do you wish of me, slave?" His hand gripped a glaive that stood next to his throne. The priest trembled, and his voice shook.

"S-s-sir, the ceremony will t-take place three d-days from now," he sputtered, obviously frightened of his commander.

"Good, good," he purred in a satisfied voice. Without warning, he launched the glaive from his hand into the priest's heart. Eyes wide and blood spurting from his chest, the servant far below had perished before he had even hit the ground.

Sensing immediate danger, Raven's eyes opened in time to see the man slump to the floor, lying in a pool of his own blood. Her eyes filled with rare tears.

"What have you done? He did nothing to you!" Raven shouted so her captor could hear her. Sebastian stared coldly back at her.

"My Bride of Blood, my dearest Raven, take no notice of this… disgrace. He was unsuitable…inferior. I had no use for him." His black and scarlet metal arm reached out, and the glaive returned from the dead priest's chest back into his robotic hand. The glaive's blade was drenched in the blood of an innocent. Raven looked at Sebastian, horrified.

The prophecy spoke of a cruel and merciless leader, but I never expected him to be a demon, a devil! I must escape, but the prophecy of old denies it. I am not just a person. I am a portal. This is my destiny, and I must accept it.

Cerulean tears leaked from her eyes and the moisture landed on her indigo hair, matting her lustrous locks and landing on the floor. She watched as the tears she released mixed with the blood pooled on the ground. Between her racking sobs, she managed to say one word, and one alone.

"Robin."


Morgan: Well, how do you like that chapter? I think it was less crappy than the last one, but still, I'm the writer, not the reader. What do I know?

Thanks to all who reviewed my first two chapters. I hope to update sooner than I usually do.

Aprilangel413: That's right! You'd better update, or I'll send Hiei and his dragon against you!

Crystalsapphire: Yeah! And then, I'll lock you in a room with Mr. Cheepers and MrCheepersGuy!

Red Ikiuki: I hope you don't get in trouble, but, if you don't update, I'll… kill off Botan! Mwahaha!

Morgan: Um, how did you guys find me? Help, my friends are stalking me!

Tune in next time to…. BRIDE OF PAGAN BLOOD! (thunder and lightning effects)