Chapter 3: Gregory
"Beloved Friends May the Ground Rest Lightly Upon You." Raven read the inscription on Gregory's parents' crypt. She knelt down and ran her fingers slowly along the smooth time-worn lines of the marble slab. The wind rustled in the dark graveyard as the setting moon cast dim shadows along the overgrown grass.
Raven slowly stood up and surveyed the scene. She shivered when she thought of what the young necromancer would have done to her if Beast Boy hadn't come to her rescue. Though her parental situation wasn't ideal at least hers still dwelled on this side of life. Gregory's and Beast Boy's parents had suffered the same fate but the survivors of this tragedy had followed wildly different paths. Gregory fixed on his loss until insanity and obsession totally consumed him. Beast Boy completely withdrew from the possibility that they had ever existed.
Raven stood up and pulled her hood over her head. She wrapped her cloak around herself as she slowly floated down the path towards the cemetery's main gate. She smiled thinking what she would have looked like to some unlucky soul who had come upon her at this late hour. This was a nightly routine for her. Creepy as it was it helped her relax. She knew Gregory would return eventually with an unholy offer too good to refuse. For now the Book of the Dead that Gregory sought was in a safe place.
She reached the main gate and paused looking up into the dark star-filled sky. Her feet fell to the ground as she lowered herself into a kneeling position. She felt the dew-cooled grass touch her knees as the soft ground gave way under her weight. Her eyes drifted down and slowly closed. She wanted to avoid sleep at any cost, anything to avoid dreaming of her unborn sons once again.
Her eyes instinctively opened and focused on a small crumpled note taped to the cemetery's main gate. She rose and slowly made her way over to it. Her hand trembled as she reached up to grasp the note Gregory had left for her. She held it up in the faint light trying make out the rough block print. The note flapped gently in the night breeze.
"The Elbow Room, Derry Street and 12th," it read. Raven's eyes narrowed as the note burst into flames. She clenched her hands into tight fists as her heart rate and breathing began to rise in anger and anticipation. Raven burst upwards into the night sky and headed straight for her antagonizer.
The Elbow Room was a dive bar. Its black swivel doors opened into a dimly lit smoke filled snake pit infested with five-dollar crack whores and their slimy strung out clients. She quickly surveyed the room looking for the thin-framed silhouette of the young necromancer. No one in the room appeared to fit that description and what people were in the room didn't seem the least bit interested in her sudden appearance.
Raven scowled under her hood as she made her way over to the far end of the dimly lit bar. Spent peanut shells and bottle caps crunched under her feet. She looked down and frowned trying to avoid the sticky puddles of spilt beer and other unidentified liquids. She chose a relatively clean stool and sat down on her cape as she elbowed up to the bar. Crappy country music began to blare out of the dimly lit jukebox at the other end of the bar. Raven stooped over the worn wooden surface of the bar that was littered with graffiti tags.
"What do you want," a hoarse voice called out from behind the bar. The bartender was a young man with a gaunt face and peppered facial hair. His eyes were narrow and cunning as he wiped a pint glass with his towel.
Raven looked into his eyes with contempt, "Glass of water with ice."
The bartender frowned, "Hey, I'm trying to run a business here. Order something or get the fuck out."
Raven was in no mood to put up with this. "Is that what you call this place? It's 3 AM; nobody serves this late."
"What are you, some kind of saint?" he replied.
"No," Raven sneered, "I'm your worst nightmare." With that several glasses rose up and momentarily floated in the air. The bartender looked over in disbelief then jumped as one by one they dropped to the floor and shattered. One continued to float in the air. "Do I get my drink?"
"Yea, sure," the bartender reached out and grasped the suspended glass then made his way over to the bar's sink.
"Make sure that glass is clean," Raven instructed him. The bartender turned and nodded as he dunked the glass into the sink, then washed and rinsed it thoroughly. He slid open the freezer door and plunged the glass into the ice bin. He cracked open a small bottle of water, walked back to Raven and slid them to her.
"Lemon?" he quickly asked her.
"No thanks," she politely replied.
The bartender turned and walked over to the other end of the bar to retrieve a broom and clean up the broken glass. Raven caught a glimpse of a small orange glow emanating from the darkness. Gregory stepped out of the shadows as he pulled a cigarette from the corner of his mouth and blew a white puff of smoke in her direction.
"I've always liked your style Raven; you're never afraid to push the envelop to get what you want," he said in a hoarse voice. The necromancer looked much older than he did during their last encounter. His hair was dark and chaotic. A white bandana with some unknown oriental characters was tied around the top of his forehead to keep his long hair from dangling in his eyes. A tight white t-shirt covered his slight frame and black leather bands were loosely wrapped around his wrists. A studded black belt held up a faded pair of blue jeans. The dark boots that fell Raven in their last encounter polished off his outfit.
Raven's eyes narrowed as the white tendrils of smoke pushed against her face. "Don't blow smoke in my face again or I'll stick that cigarette someplace you won't like."
Gregory went over to the bar keeping a safe distance from Raven then leaned on his elbow contemplating what she had just told him. His dark eyes focused on hers. He let out a slight laugh then took another long drag on his cigarette, turned his head and exhaled being careful not to blow his smoke towards Raven. He glanced over, found an ashtray and crushed his cigarette out. He raised his other hand and took a long swig from a nearly empty glass of beer. Gregory placed the empty glass on the bar. Raven watched as the foamy bubbles slowly slid down the inside of the glass and pooled on the bottom.
Gregory looked at the bartender and motioned for a refill. "I'll order something for you while I'm at it."
"Don't bother I already have what I want," Raven dryly replied.
"Oh I doubt that," Gregory quickly countered. Raven felt utter revulsion for this character but she held her ground.
The bartender brought another pint of beer then took Gregory's empty glass. "Bring the lady that drink I told you about." The bartender nodded and walked over to the other end of the bar. Gregory took a short sip from his glass then turned to Raven.
Raven returned an icy stare from under her hood. "I've about had enough of this. What do you want?"
Gregory's face pulled up into a sly smile. "I think you know what I want."
"The Book of the Dead?" Raven replied. "Not a chance."
"I'm offering a trade," Gregory said. "What I want for something you want."
Raven stifled the urge to smash her stool across Gregory's arrogant head. She took a deep breath to gather herself. "Quit fucking around with me. I'm not a pleasant person when I get mad."
"Beast Boy," Gregory quickly blurted out. He watched Raven's eyes for a response. Raven felt a chill wash over her body. Gregory smiled knowing he had struck the first blow. "Yes I know how you feel about him. You can't admit it. In fact you'll deny it right to my face, but you know I'm right."
Raven strained to maintain eye contact with Gregory. How could he know? "I don't think so," she replied unconvincingly.
Gregory took another long swig from his glass. "You can admit it to me. Come on let it out. You're problem is that you try to hold everything in. You're afraid of yourself. You deny your own feelings."
"And what ever happened to the Gregory that wanted to help Beast Boy contact his parents?" Raven quickly countered.
Gregory's face froze. He looked down at the bar momentarily then looked back at Raven. "He's gone. Tied up and disposed of, just like your emotions."
Raven only offered silence and Gregory quickly took up the exchange. "Is it worse because you helped Beast Boy and Terra get together? Don't forget Robin and Starfire. They all make such cute couples. You can't stand it can you?"
Raven turned her head and looked down at the bar's graffitied surface. Her fists slowly clenched as jealous rage began to fill her heart. It was true. She regretted getting Beast Boy and Terra together. Of all her emotions, jealousy was the one she knew the least about and the one she could not control. It grew from her true feelings for Beast Boy and the knowledge that it was too late for her love for him to ever be returned in kind.
Gregory smiled knowing he had struck a fatal blow. "Terra barely knows Beast Boy. He hasn't even told her about his parents. He shared that with you. How many other secrets do you two have with each other," Gregory continued to pummel Raven. He took another quick swig of beer to let his words sink in. "Don't worry you'll be the bridesmaid at both of their weddings. All of them will thank you incessantly for being the person that bought them together. What are you going to say to them?"
Raven closed her eyes as the verbal body blows continued to rain down on her. She could feel the weight of Gregory's prophecies suffocate her. She knew she could never accept those outcomes.
"Do you think Beast Boy and Terra will have children?" Gregory relentlessly continued. "Oh I'll bet they'll have lots, and you'll get to meet all of them."
Raven's heart sank under the realization that she would not be the person to bring forth the unfettered joy of any relationship; the union of two souls to bring forth a new one. "No," she blurted out through clenched teeth. "It's not going to happen that way," she wishfully replied. A tinge of remorse passed through her when she realized what she had just said.
"Oh yes it will," Gregory insisted. "Haven't you seen those two together? True love birds. You've done such a great job getting them together," he said mockingly.
Raven's head swam in a jealous tempest of frustration and anger. She had up to this point been able to deny herself any deep feelings for Beast Boy. This exchange with Gregory had all but eroded the dam she had built across her heart. She was passing into shadow, the area of her being that she had fought so long to keep caged.
"Let me help you Raven," Gregory whispered softly to her. "Together we can end their union and bring forth the Dark Queen."
Raven heard a soft clunk as something was placed on the bar in front of her. She drew a deep breath of smoke filled air and opened her eyes. In front of her was a large shot glass filled with clear orange liquid. Suspended in it was a grey mass that looked like a brain with a tinge of red washed over it.
"Have a drink Raven," Gregory offered. "It will clear your mind."
Raven began gasping for air. She pushed herself from the bar then slid her feet to the floor and staggered towards the door. She had to get out before she lost control.
Gregory turned and watched his prey stumble away from him. "I'll be here if you change your mind," he called to her. He laughed to himself then took another swig of his beer delighted with his accomplishment.