The Phantom of the Opera: Chapter 13
Disclaimer: DC Comics owns "Teen Titans." Gaston Leroux owns the original story of "The Phantom of the Opera." Andrew Lloyd Webber owns the musical version. I own whatever I write/create. Don't steal and don't sue.
A/N: If some original characters in this story confuse you, please refer to my story "Book of Demons" for more information about them. I changed some lyrics from the musical in this chapter. Please refer to my posting of this chapter on deviantArt for a more indepth summary.
The premiere of Don Juan Triumphant was the most anticipated moment in the history of the Paris Opera House. The citizens of Paris were utterly entranced with the opera for a myriad of reasons. Whispers had spread from loose-lipped employees of Don Juan's scandalous nature. It was a tale of a conqueror of women that culminated in a true love for the titular character. There was to be lust and romance—a surefire combination to draw in the subscribers. With Starfire's Aminta alongside Malchior's Don Juan, many a fantasy would be fulfilled, and an equal amount of envious hearts stirred.
The primary reason for the flurry to fill the house, however, was not one that needed mere gossip from drunken maids to be known. Any person that had attended the New Year's masquerade ball within the Opera House's walls had seen the Phantom of the Opera's grand appearance as Red Death and the delivery of Don Juan's manuscript. Such a wholly remarkable origin was all the more alluring, and the house was sold out the day tickets went on sale.
Enthusiasm was not limited to the public. The performers had never known such eagerness. For some, the performance would be a test of skill. The orchestra had practiced day and night until their lips cracked or their fingers bled. The corps de ballet could be found massaging their legs and feet in large groups in the evening, going through the choreography verbally.
For others, there were things that waited beyond the first performance. Malchior and Jinx still reeled from the idea that their next show would be their last, and quietly schemed for retribution. Beast Boy and Cyborg had promised Terra and Bumblebee, their respective fiancées, that they would be married after the premiere and live handsomely in a new time of prosperity for the Opera House.
None were more anxious than Raven and Starfire. The idea that her work would be performed on such a grand scale was one of Raven's greatest dreams. Starfire had never seen the woman smile so much as she did in the three weeks before the premiere. There were moments when the smiles seemed rather secretive when Starfire expected them to fade instantly to scowls.
She had avoided practicing the duet she was to perform with Malchior toward the end of the opera in Raven's presence, but Raven insisted that she hear it. Despite her curiosity, Starfire did not ask about Raven's smile. She believed in Raven's promise that everything would be revealed after the opera, and simply added the smile to the list of things to inquire about when they left the Opera House together.
There was only one person in the whole of the city that was not anxious for the opera, and it was only because he was not conscious to be part of the fervor. Robin had been returned to his flat and his bed, and had not woken in the three weeks before the premiere. Had anyone known that he was in his locked flat, they would have marveled that the man did not starve to death in his near comatose state.
The night of the performance came with high expectations of perfection from all parties involved. Everything had been practiced unto the point of becoming second nature. Every plan was finalized, and there was no reason for any person to believe that something would go awry. While there were certain plots that would have failed in any circumstance, one small thing guaranteed that everything would not go precisely as planned.
Through sheer force of will, and against all odds, Robin woke one day before he was meant to.
----------
"Are you frightened?" Starfire looked up at Chaos in confusion as the two women made their way from Starfire's dressing room.
"No," she said with a smile. "Why would I be frightened?" Chaos shrugged, her focus somewhere in the distance.
"I don't know," she replied. "Force of habit to ask."
"Are you frightened?" Starfire asked. Chaos blinked and looked at the young woman at her side.
"No," she murmured as she looked at the floor. "I'm just worried." She sighed and shook her head, managing a smile as she looked at Starfire once more. "You'll do fine. I'm very proud of how far you've come." Starfire felt an unexpected but welcome swell of happiness in her chest, blushing as her eyes brightened.
"You are?" Chaos chuckled, and her smile grew broader. She laid a hand on Starfire's shoulder, stopping them both and looking the young woman's eyes.
"I'm as proud of you as I am of my daughter," she said. "You've both come very far in your lives." She paused for a moment, her smile fading as she thought. The smile returned more broadly than before. "I'll introduce you to her tonight. She's quite anxious to see the opera, and I know that she's here."
"That would be wonderful!" Starfire said cheerfully. Chaos chuckled, patting Starfire's shoulder before guiding the young woman to begin walking. "If your daughter is half the woman you are, I can't wait to meet her!" Chaos laughed aloud, resisting the urge to ruffle Starfire's perfectly coiffed hair. They reached the stage, where the final preparations were hurriedly carried out behind the closed curtain.
"Remind me that I promised to play my best work for all of you tonight," Chaos murmured. Starfire looked at the woman, blinking confusedly.
"You haven't promised that," she replied. Chaos chuckled.
"I have now." She smiled at Starfire, who stared at her in surprise. "Go on now. I want your best efforts tonight." Starfire nodded and started away, briefly looking back over her shoulder with a broad smile. The smile on Chaos's face vanished as she let out a low sigh. She turned when she felt the familiar touch of a warm hand against her back. Kali stood behind her, red eyes anxious.
"Is there a specific reason you wanted me backstage tonight?" she asked. Chaos smiled, taking Kali's hand in hers.
"Other than I miss you when I'm backstage and you're in the audience?" she asked in turn. The smile twisted into a small scowl. "Yes, unfortunately. I want you here if anything goes wrong."
"Do you think something will happen?"
"Yes, and I don't know what it is."
----------
Robin strode nonchalantly through the dark streets of Paris. Thieves were too disturbed by the sight of him to try and rob him. His once fashionable clothes were blood-spattered rags, and he still wore the black domino mask. Despite this shabbiness, his hair was neatly combed and slicked back, and his face was cleanly shaven. He moved silently, barely sensing the chill of the cobblestones on his bare, scorched feet.
Though his mind was clear, a line had been irrevocably crossed during his time in the chamber of mirrors. The separation from pain had deepened to encompass the deadening of his ability to feel any physical sensation. He had barely been aware of the comb through his hair a mere thirty minutes before, and he hardly reacted to the cold wind blowing through the holes in his shirt. The greatest damage, however, was to the attachment of his emotions.
The plan that he had devised to bring the downfall of his enemies was one that required no mercy, and Robin had allowed himself to lose what compassion he knew. He strode into the light of the Paris Opera House, walking purposefully through the doors. There was a single usher standing at the doors, and he quickly walked toward Robin. A quick, hard jab of Robin's thumb into the artery on the man's neck forced him into a swift, semi-painless darkness. He continued on through the lobby, walking up the stairs toward the private boxes.
Distantly, he could hear music through the doors he walked past. He did not bother to listen to it, instead concentrating on counting his paces. Twenty long strides brought him to the end of the hallway, and he stopped at the door to the managers' box. He laid his hand on the doorknob, gently turning it. The door was unlocked, and Robin opened it silently. He strode into the box and closed the door, never drawing the attention of the two men watching the opera.
"Good evening, gentlemen." His arms reached out beyond Cyborg and Beast Boy before snapping backwards. The points of his elbows caught both men in the center of their chests. They bent forward reflexively, air rushing from their lungs. Robin twisted his arms about, slapping his hands against the men's mouths to mute any cries of pain. Mere moments later, he ripped the sleeves from his shirt and gagged both men. Still incapacitated, they could do nothing to stop Robin from binding them to their chairs with the shredded remains of their suit jackets.
"I see that you gave in to the demon's demands," he said conversationally. "A grievous error that I'll have to rectify." He turned away from gazing at the stage from the shadows, his focus falling squarely on Cyborg. "Monsieur Stone—those rumors about your hiding a pistol in your false arm are true, aren't they?" He strode to the man and crouched down, snatching the false left arm. With a sharp jerk, he snapped the finely made hand off at the wrist. The pistol within the hollow arm fell into Robin's waiting hand.
"They are," Robin murmured. He checked the pistol quickly, humming at the assessment. "One shot, but a powerful weapon. Just what I need." He made his way back into the shadows, turning to watch the stage. "Now we wait until the right moment."
----------
Jinx and Malchior had planned their revenge down to the very lyric. They would go through the motions of the first and second acts, all the while waiting for the final scene wherein Don Juan would pronounce his love for Aminta. Before returning to the stage for the duet, Malchior would retrieve the dagger Jinx had placed backstage in the dark cloak Don Juan was to wear. At the finale of the lover's duet, he would not hesitate to slit the young woman's throat.
The anxiety of the audience was at a record high. Never before had they been so drawn into an opera, and the current that seemed to run through every person in the Opera House intensified as the final scene began at last. The ending could be nothing short of spectacular, and most everyone watched with bated breath.
The stage was set with a high, flat-topped arch creating a curtained alcove. Twin spiral staircases created the two supporting legs of the arch, and many eyes continually glanced at the top of the arch. It was a natural reaction; the finale could take place only on such an eye-catching creation as the expertly painted and decorated arch. Two men stood below the arch—Malchior as Don Juan, and a senior member of the chorus playing the role of Passarino, Don Juan's best friend. Malchior smiled, his voice ringing clearly as he and the man opposite sang back and forth.
"I have said: 'come—meet with me!'
Why, oh, why? I must speak the truth!"
"The dear girl has won your heart!"
"Here's my hat, my cloak and sword.
our happiness is assured,
if I do not forget myself and lie…"
Despite his character, Malchior could not repress the small chuckle from bubbling out of his throat as he swept behind the red curtain. As soon as the curtain swung down and hid him from view, something cold and hard enveloped his entire body and held his mouth closed. A figure stepped out from the shadows of the backstage, dark blue eyes regarding him coolly from behind a black mask that matched Malchior's. Unable to struggle or speak, Malchior could only wonder why there was a person dressed exactly as he was standing before him.
The eyes filled with red light, and Malchior saw a lasso made of shadows fly out and fall over his head. What pain he might have felt from the lasso's tightening round his throat was never realized. His neck snapped before he could feel anything more than faint surprise.
----------
Starfire strode on stage with a lightness in her step that was true to herself and her character. She glanced at the audience, happy that her character was meant to smile. Everyone was enthralled with the opera, as Starfire had known they would be. No complications had arisen in the performance, and Starfire sang as easily as breathing.
"…no thoughts
within her head,
but thoughts of joy!
No dreams
within her heart,
but dreams of love!"
She held in her hands a single rose—a present from Don Juan to Aminta. It had been delivered to Aminta in the night, with a note begging the young beauty to meet Don Juan. The note had promised that there were many things that would be revealed, and that Don Juan desperately needed to see Aminta. Aminta, absolutely entranced by the mysterious man, had rushed to meet him at the specified time and place.
Starfire stood in simple peasant's garb—a dark maroon dress and clean white blouse. Her eyes were bright and eager as she looked everywhere but the curtained alcove behind her. The choir member playing Passarino glanced about, leaning toward the curtain.
"Master?" he sang, the nervous waver in his voice oddly unconnected to his character. The voice that answered him was strong and commanding.
"Passarino—go away!
My dear love waits, and I will not delay!"
The man quickly did as he was told, and the curtain parted soon after he had hurried offstage. The figure that stepped onto the stage looked exactly as Malchior had. The hair was dark and long, and a black mask covered the eyes and forehead. A black cape lined with red hung around a body dressed in tight black breeches and a loose, long-sleeved shirt opened wide at the chest. With Starfire still purposefully looking in the wrong direction, the beginning of the duet was sung.
"You have come here
in pursuit of
your deepest urge,
in pursuit of
that wish,
which till now
has been silent,
silent…"
Starfire froze, her eyes widening in utter shock. She knew that the voice she heard was a tenor's voice. It was second nature to recognize the ranges of her fellow singers. It was also in her nature to recognize whose voice was singing in said ranges. Having lived her life in the Opera House, and having spent three solid weeks rehearsing with the cast, Starfire knew immediately that it was not Malchior who stood on stage and sang as Don Juan.
"I have brought you,
that our passions
may fuse and merge—
in your mind
you've already
succumbed to me,
dropped all defenses,
completely succumbed to me—
now you are here with me:
no second thoughts,
you've decided,
decided…"
She turned about quickly, drawing in an inaudible gasp. Raven slowly strode downstage, smiling at Starfire. The cape around her shoulders hid her feminine form from the audience, but not from Starfire, and there was nothing that could keep Starfire from recognizing the masked woman's eyes.
"Past the point
of no return—
no backward glances:
the games we've played
till now are at
an end…
Past all thought
of 'if' or 'when'—
no use resisting:
abandon thought,
and let the dream
descend…"
Though none but Starfire had noticed that Malchior was no longer on the stage, it was impossible to ignore the change in the voice that occurred. Slowly, gradually, the range shifted and the pitch rose. Raven began to sing at her natural alto, and although it was noticed, the audience found no reason to protest such a perfect voice.
"What raging fire
shall flood the soul?
What rich desire
unlocks its door?
What sweet seduction
lies before
us…?"
Raven met Starfire in the center of the stage, taking her hands. She pressed soft kisses against Starfire's fingers, lifting her head only after each hand had received the same slow, knee-weakening treatment. Starfire felt her cheeks burn as Raven smiled at her.
"Past the point
of no return,
the final threshold—
what warm,
unspoken secrets
will we learn?
Beyond the point
of no return…"
Still smiling, Raven stepped away, moving toward one of the staircases. Starfire could only stand and stare, an astonished smile curling her lips. Despite her amazement, she managed to start singing when she heard her cue.
"You have brought me
to that moment
where words run dry,
to that moment
where speech
disappears
into silence,
silence…"
Her stride was evenly paced as she moved toward the staircase opposite Raven. She continued to smile, and sang with everything she had.
"I have come here,
hardly knowing
the reason why…
In my mind,
I've already
imagined our
bodies entwining,
defenseless and silent—
and now I am
here with you:
no second thoughts,
I've decided,
decided…"
They began to walk up the staircases, Starfire's voice still ringing clearly in the audience's ears.
"Past the point
of no return—
no going back now:
our passion-play
has now, at last,
begun…
Past all thought
of right or wrong—
one final question:
how long should we
two wait, before
we're one…?"
The smiles on the two women's faces were genuine. As artists, they knew that they were performing at their very peak. It would be difficult to equal the duet they sang, and nearly impossible to exceed it. As lovers, they were filled with pride for the other's talent. Such a reaction was natural and unavoidable. No matter what talent was in one's lover, it was to be celebrated, cherished, and nurtured. With Raven's heart swelling as she listened, Starfire continued to sing.
"When will the blood
begin to race,
the sleeping bud
burst into bloom?
When will the flames
at last, consume
us…?"
They reached the top of the archway and began to move slowly toward each other. Raven pulled the cape from her shoulders, flinging it aside. A ripple of faint gasps swept through the audience at the sight of her form. It was the secret that Raven had revealed to no one: Don Juan was a woman in disguise. It was scandalous, shocking, unheard of—and the audience did not protest. The two women began to sing in unison, reaching out and clasping each other's hands.
"Past the point
of no return,
the final threshold—
the bridge
is crossed, so stand
and watch it burn…
We've passed the point
of no return…"
The audience sat in complete silence as the music ebbed away. Raven pulled Starfire flush against her, turning the young woman's back to the audience. With a smile that outshone any that she had given before, Raven took Starfire's left hand and lifted it, angling it so the gold ring was visible. She let her other hand rest on Starfire's hip, holding the other woman close as she sang the words Starfire would never forget.
"Say you'll share with
me one
love, one lifetime…
Lead me, save me
from my solitude…"
In the manager's box, Robin took aim from the shadows. Cyborg and Beast Boy could only stare in horror. Starfire wrapped her arms around Raven's neck, smiling as brightly as Raven.
"Say you want me
with you,
here beside you…
Anywhere you go
let me go too—
Starfire,
that's all I ask of—"
The gunshot that interrupted the pledge was ear-splitting. Women in the audience shrieked first in shock, and then in horror. A red blossom had appeared low on one side of Starfire's back, and her face was a wide-eyed mask of surprise and pain. A line of the same brilliant red on her back trickled from the corner of her mouth, and she gripped weakly at Raven's shoulders. Her legs failed, and Raven crouched swiftly to lower her gently to the wooden planks.
Her movement sent a flare of heat and pain up from her stomach, and Raven pressed a hand against it. Her hand came away soaked in blood. She stared at her hand for a mere moment before looking back at Starfire. The front of her pristine white blouse was stained crimson, and there was a hole in her side that pierced through her entire body. Gasping for breath, Starfire reached out for Raven with a trembling hand. Raven took Starfire's hand, pressing it to her cheek and bowing her head. For a moment, the Paris Opera House was absolutely still.
What happened after that still moment would be forever etched on the memories of those who witnessed it. The lights flickered, sending the Opera House into darkness. Six diamonds of red light appeared to the sound of roaring flames, and the lights returned. Starfire and Raven had vanished, and in their place stood a figure made entirely of black fire, six red eyes blazing.
The creature's mouth opened with a howl, red flames rushing out to fill the air. Men and women alike screamed as the fire came close enough to burn, tendrils of red licking at their skin and clothes. The fire continued to burn, its crackling roar a counterpart to the screams of every person that ran for the exits.
Robin tossed the pistol aside and began to turn about. Fingers wrapped around the collar of his shirt and pulled him from his feet. He was thrown through the cloud of flames, landing hard on the stage. Beast Boy and Cyborg stared in shock as the creature made of black flames disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. When their bonds vanished, they rushed from the box to find their fiancées.
In the mad rush to escape, Jinx had been knocked to the floor just behind the curtain of the archway. When she looked up to shriek angrily, she was confronted with the sight of Malchior's body and its broken neck. She sat unable to move, horror coursing through every vein. The sound of a footstep somehow drew her attention, and she looked up.
"You?" she croaked.
"Me." The last thing that Jinx saw was the flash of light off of the blade that parted her neck from her shoulders. Her body fell against Malchior's, and her head rolled to rest against his.
----------
"Terra, please—get up! We can't stay here!" Terra continued to stare at the fire, unable to move from her place huddled at the bottom of one of the staircases onstage. Bumblebee reached out and shook Terra's shoulders furiously. "Terra! Get up now!"
"I can't," Terra whispered. "I—I tripped and twisted my ankle when the lights went out." She blinked, her eyes turning to look at Bumblebee. "Oh, God—Starfire was shot." Bumblebee's heart shuddered within her chest, and she felt her knees fold beneath her. Her mouth opened and closed, unable to make a sound. A hand fell on her shoulder, and Bumblebee looked up at Chaos.
"Stand up, Bumblebee," Chaos murmured. It was a command that Bumblebee obeyed immediately. Chaos crouched down and put her hands beneath Terra's arms, lifting her as easily as a child and setting her gently on her uninjured leg. "Help Terra." Bumblebee moved to support her friend, letting the pale-faced young woman clutch at her shoulders and arms. "Good. Find your fiancées and get out of here." She began to stride quickly away.
"Madame Dolan, wait!" Terra's voice was high-pitched and nearly hysterical. Chaos stopped and looked back at the two young women, her face taut. "Where are you going? Please don't leave us alone!"
"I have to find Starfire and the Opera Ghost," Chaos replied. "You two will be all right." She started to turn away, but paused. After a moment, she walked back to the two young women, and her gaze had softened. "You two were my best students. Don't disappoint me now by falling apart when I leave." She gave them a small smile, reaching out and laying her hands on their shoulders. "Be safe and be well, girls. Goodbye."
Terra and Bumblebee stood and watched their teacher hurry away. They saw her rouse Robin and stared as they ran from the stage and toward the only entrance to the lower levels of the Opera House. After a moment, they both drew deep breaths and steeled themselves to start the long trek through fire and panic. They managed to move off stage before the tears of pain in Terra's eyes welled over and they were forced to rest.
"Terra! Bumblebee!" Cyborg and Beast Boy pushed past the frantic stagehands and ran to either woman. Beast Boy spared a single glance at Terra's pained expression and her precarious position on one foot before scooping her up in his arms. Cyborg hastily checked Bumblebee for injuries, wrapping his flesh arm around her when he found nothing.
"We've got to leave!" Beast Boy said, his voice and his grip strong. "There's no telling who that insane viscount will shoot next!" Terra and Bumblebee turned to stare at the man in shock.
"Robin shot Starfire?" Terra whispered. Beast Boy's face fell as he looked at the woman he held in his arms. He swallowed hard and nodded once. "But—Madame Dolan went to find Starfire! Robin's with her! We have to stop him!"
"No!" Beast Boy replied. "You can barely walk! I don't want him attacking you!"
"But we've got to make sure that Starfire's all right!" Terra protested. "Please, Garfield!" Beast Boy faltered, eyes blinking as he thought. After a moment, he looked at Cyborg.
"Victor?" he asked. "Do you think you and I can stop him?"
"You won't be the one that stops him," Bumblebee murmured. "Madame Dolan isn't going to let him hurt Starfire any more than he has already. If she knew—good lord." The blood rushed from her face. She pulled away from Cyborg slightly, looking at her fiancée's eyes. "I'll follow them. I know my way around the lower levels."
"But there's still the Opera Ghost!" Beast Boy said. "There's no telling what could happen to you!"
"I have to do this," Bumblebee said quietly. "Victor—please let me go. I'll be all right." Cyborg studied the young woman's eyes before sighing and releasing her.
"Be careful," he whispered. Bumblebee smiled and stood on her toes, pressing a swift kiss against Cyborg's lips. She turned and ran across the stage, vanishing from sight. Cyborg turned quickly to Beast Boy and Terra. "Come on. We need to get you to a doctor."
----------
"Raven, open your eyes." Raven did as she was told and found herself kneeling on the floor of her parlor. She felt an arm wrapped around her shoulder and turned to look.
"Kali?" she asked blearily. The gray-haired woman tilted her head, scowling at the blood pulsing from the wound in Raven's stomach. Her arm rose from Raven's shoulder, her hand roaming over the masked woman's back.
"Dammit," she snarled. "The bullet's still in your body. Lie down—I need to get it out."
"I need to heal Koriand'r," Raven said in return, her gaze falling on the young woman's prone body. She pulled the mask from her face, tossing it aside. Beads of sweat had pooled uncomfortably under the mask, and she needed to concentrate completely. Raven put Starfire's hand on the floor gently, moving to hold her hands above the wound in her side. Before she could think of the spell she needed, Kali took hold of her wrists.
"You won't be able to heal yourself," she said. "I can only get the bullet out of you—I don't know any healing spells." Raven smiled weakly.
"I'll be all right," she murmured. Kali let go of her wrists, and Raven nodded at her. As she closed her eyes, she forced her breathing to become deep and regular. Her hands were surrounded by white light, and she pressed them gently over the wound. The flesh knitted together, blood was restored, and Starfire's breathing calmed from shallow gasps to soft, even breaths.
The glow around Raven's hands faded, and she opened her eyes. Her skin was bathed in sweat, and her eyes were dim and unfocused. She began to pitch forward, but Kali took hold of her shoulders and laid her on her back next to Starfire. Starfire's eyes fluttered open, and she sat up slowly. She turned her head and gasped at the sight of Raven half-conscious and wounded. When she reached out for the other woman, hands closed on her wrists and she looked up at Kali.
"Don't," Kali murmured. "I need to take the bullet out of her, and I don't want you to move her from where she is." Starfire stared at the gray-haired woman in confusion, tears appearing in her eyes.
"But—"
"No," Kali said. She let go of Starfire's wrists. "What I need for you to do is to find something that's clean—a towel or a sheet." Starfire looked at Raven's face once more before scrambling to her feet and rushing out of the room. Kali looked back to Raven and sighed. With hardly a thought, she tore a strip from Raven's shirt to expose her stomach. The wound was ugly, but Kali could see the glint of blood-smeared metal. She grimaced, but felt relief. Unaware that Starfire had returned, she reached for Raven's stomach.
Starfire stared as Kali's hand passed through Raven's flesh as if it were the hand of a ghost. After a moment, Raven's body jerked, and Kali pulled her fisted hand away. She opened her hand, looking at the bloody bullet. With a sigh, she tossed it aside and looked up. Starfire blinked and strode forward, kneeling down and pressing down on the wound with the sheet.
"You're a demon as well?" she asked.
"Yes," Kali said simply. Starfire let out a wavering breath, pressing slightly harder. "Are you angry with us?"
"I'm only confused," Starfire replied. "Raven promised to explain everything after the opera." A pale, long-fingered hand was gently laid on Starfire's, and the young woman found Raven's open eyes on her face.
"I intend to keep that promise," Raven whispered.
"Wait until you've been healed," Kali said tersely. Raven shook her head.
"I'll be fine," she said. She turned her eyes back to Starfire. "You deserve to know."
----------
"Shouldn't we be preparing for traps?" The question echoed in the wide corridor, but Chaos did not answer. Robin continued to follow her, sweat running down his back. They had been running through the lower levels for the past ten minutes, and Chaos had been absolutely silent. Robin's breath grew progressively more labored, his chest aching terribly.
"We're chasing after—a demon!" he panted. "She must have—set some kind of trap!" Chaos still did not reply. Robin scowled, but continued to hold one hand at the level of his eyes. He had seen the damage done by the black lasso, and knew the single method to disarm such a weapon. He would feel no remorse if Chaos fell prey to the Phantom. Regret would only be stirred in him if Chaos died before guiding him to Starfire.
----------
"My father was the demon Trigon," Raven murmured, her eyes half-closed. "He raped my—the woman who gave birth to me. When I was born, she tried to kill me."
"Your mother?" Starfire whispered. Her voice was low not with shock, but with the effort of remembering where she had heard such a tale before. Raven let out a breath and shook her head slightly.
"That woman wasn't my mother," she explained. "The woman who saved me and raised me is who I call my mother." Her eyes turned to look at Starfire's face and the confused expression thereupon. "You know her, Starfire. She's probably told you this once before." Starfire's eyes widened and her head rose. She looked from Raven to Kali and back again.
"Madame Dolan is your mother?" she asked.
"And my teacher." The statement brought back another memory that would have knocked Starfire from her feet had she been standing.
"Madame Dolan was the demon in the graveyard?" she asked, her voice strained. "All this time—she's been like a mother—she lied to all of us?" Kali put a hand on Starfire's shoulder, and the young woman looked at her with wide eyes.
"She's never lied about how she feels," Kali said gently.
"Why should I believe you?" Starfire demanded. "You've lied just as much as her!"
"Koriand'r." Starfire bit her lip and looked at Raven desperately, her eyes stinging. "Kei does not lie about how she feels. She may mask her anger at times, but she has never lied about caring for people." Starfire swallowed hard, her head falling.
"I've always trusted her," she muttered. "And I've trusted you, Madame Kali."
"You can still trust us," Kali said. "We've always wanted you to be happy."
"What about the other girls?" Starfire asked. "The managers?" Kali chuckled, and the warmth of it belied the coldness of her words.
"We've wanted them to be happy as well," she replied. "The people we've wanted unhappy are already dead. And those that are still alive will suffer."
----------
Robin all but fell into the gondola, his legs shaking terribly as he stumbled from the dock. He had no chance to settle comfortably in the gondola before Chaos had untied the mooring, picked up the oar, and pushed them away into the dark lake. As he huddled panting in the bottom of the boat, he closed his eyes and massaged his chest. Had he looked up at Chaos, he would have found that she was anything but weary. No sweat had gathered on her skin, and her breathing was even. Her face remained drawn and her eyes unreadable.
It took a bare minute to reach the island in the center of the lake. Chaos threw aside the oar and leapt from the gondola, running to the open door of the house. Robin struggled from the boat, hurrying after her as well as he could. He followed the light to the parlor, leaning against the doorframe when he arrived. For a moment, he could only stand and stare.
The scene before him did not equal what he believed was the truth. He did not understand why Starfire was attending to the wounds of the demon that lay on the floor, much less how she even brought herself to touch the body of a creature with such an abhorrent face. He had believed that such a wound would break the demon's concentration on the spell that bound Starfire. There was even less of an explanation for Kali's presence, and so he took a step into the room to demand answers.
Had he arrived at the room sooner, or had he bothered to look about for Chaos, what happened might not have come as such a surprise. As it stood, however, he did not see Chaos burst into the room with wide, terrified eyes immediately falling on Starfire and Raven. He did not see the shock on her face fade away into a rage that only Kali had seen before. He saw none of this, and so walked into the room without worry.
Chaos spun about on one heel, her other foot rising to smash against Robin's face. He rose into the air, but did not go very far. Chaos grabbed the man's ankles as they came up in the air and, using her momentum, slammed him into the wall. The wall crumbled, and Chaos pulled him from the wreckage. She flung him down to the floor hard enough to crack the stone, slamming her foot down on his chest. Wheezing and coughing, Robin opened an eye only to stare in horror.
"You had to shoot my daughters," Chaos snarled. Her mouth was twisted in a fang-baring sneer, and the voice that emerged from behind those fangs was a rasp echoed by the crackle of flames. Her six eyes were filled with red light. "You've pushed your luck too many times, viscount." She lifted her foot and stomped down, snapping the same two ribs that she had broken in the graveyard nearly four months ago. He howled with pain, rolling onto his side and curling into a ball.
"Listen closely, boy." Chaos crouched down and gathered the front of Robin's tattered shirt in one hand. She slid him across the floor and slammed his back against the wall. As he sat panting for breath, she lifted his chin with a clawed finger. "The only reason I haven't killed you is the simple fact that Starfire doesn't hate you enough to want you dead. If it wasn't for her, I'd never have taken you from the mirror room—and you'd be nothing more than a pile of ash."
"Release—the girl," Robin panted. Chaos slammed the man against the wall once more before giving up her hold of his shirt. She stood up and strode to where Raven lay on the floor. "Release—the girl!" Chaos ignored him and knelt down next to Raven. When she looked up at Starfire, her face was calm, and she had only two eyes that did not shine with red light.
"I'm sorry, Koriand'r," she murmured. "I didn't mean to show you or Raven this." She gently pushed Starfire's hands away and lifted the blood-soaked sheet. At the sight of the wound, she smiled faintly at Raven. "You used all your energy healing Starfire, didn't you?" Raven nodded, too weary to speak. Chaos sighed and laid a hand over the wound. It healed in an instant, and the sickly pallor in Raven's skin vanished.
"I order you to release Starfire!" Chaos turned about, eyes multiplying and glowing red. She stood up and faced Robin, who stood slumped against the broken wall. His skin was covered with sweat, and his eyes were narrowed. "Release her!"
"What makes you think we're holding her against her will?" Raven asked. She slowly pushed herself up from the floor, arms shaking. Starfire quickly steadied her, pulling one of Raven's arms around her shoulders for support. Robin stared as the two women stood up together, every movement aiding the other. He saw nothing but clarity in Starfire's eyes, and faltered under the coolness of the gaze she turned on him.
"I'm not under a spell," she said.
"You are!" he gasped. "You were—you should have chosen me!"
"I would never fall in love with a person that treated me as an object," Starfire replied. "I don't love you, monsieur. I love my fiancée." She turned to Raven and smiled at her. "I love Raven." She laid her hand on Raven's cheek and leaned to her, pressing a kiss against her lips.
Robin could only stare. He opened and closed his mouth soundlessly, unable to find anything to say. When Raven and Starfire parted, he closed his mouth tightly and bowed his head. He drew in a breath through his nose, ignoring the pain of his battered body.
"Are you going to kill me now?" he asked quietly.
"No," Chaos replied after a moment. "I'll kill you only if you try to follow us. Leave, monsieur le Vicomte." Robin scowled and shuffled from the little house. He clambered back into the gondola, finding the strength for one good hard shove toward the opposite shore before collapsing.
Bumblebee arrived on the edge of the lake when the gondola drifted up to the shore. She found Robin lying unconscious in the bottom of the boat and looked across the lake. For a brief moment, she saw Kali, Chaos, Starfire, and Raven standing together outside the house on the island. A flash of black fire surrounded them, and Bumblebee blinked. When she opened her eyes, the fire had faded, and the four women had vanished.
—to be concluded—