Me: Yay! The little line thingy is working again and so am I! Anyway, sorry I've been gone so long. This chapter is half filler, half plot development. I'm also pretty sure you all know what kind of story this is going to be pairing-wise, but I hope that a few of you will stay regardless of the pairing. And no, it is NOT Raji/Raven.

Chapter 9: Blood and Sisters

I dodged again, sending ropes to wrap around the demon hunter. Despite the woman trying to kill me, she was still human, and I doubted she would live through a car to the head.

The woman dodged easily, her reflexes at their height. She sent the crescent and chain spiraling towards me, and wrapping around my frame. I tried to break the chains, but they were resistant to my power. While I struggled, Raji pulled out his sword and made a downward slash at the woman.

She blocked it easily with the other half of her weapon. She sent a powerful strike back towards Raji, the chains throwing me around at him as well. I slammed into Raji, the chains releasing me as we both fell back.

The woman didn't wait a second to aim the scythe-crescent at Raji's head. He dodged it easily and waited for her next attack. The woman stood patiently waiting for something.

I felt my eyes widen as I realized what was happening. "Raji!" I shouted.

The half-moon weapon had been thrown hard enough to create a boomerang effect, heading back toward the intended target, in this case Raji.

I watched helplessly as the sharpened scythe slid into his skin. I heard the blood gushing on to the city pavement, staining it red until the vampires came out. I stood still as watched him fall to his, gritting his teeth to hold back a cry of pain.

He gave me a last glance before falling on the side he hadn't been punctured. Even as I knew he was dying, the shock kept me still.

"Just as I thought. You creatures have no compassion for your own kind, let alone any other." The demon hunter scowled, her voice filled with contempt and hatred. Her voice snapped me back to reality. I ran to Raji's side, pulling out the scythe with a smooth, slick sound. The blood poured out, even as I pushed down my hand to slow down the bleeding.

I swept Raji into my spirit form, taking only a second to give the demon hunter a warning, my voice crackling with power.

"If he dies, I will kill you slowly."

Even as I sped away as fast as I could, I could still feel the hunter's apathetic look. She cared nothing for us, us things that weren't human. To her we were simply monsters that were all the same. And I knew, without a doubt, I would be seeing the hunter again very soon.

The first thing I did was lay Raji on my bed, the blood still gushing out of his wound. I wrapped his body in my energy to hold what blood he had left in. I bit my lip nervously. Now that I stopped the bleeding, I would have to heal him from the inside out, including his internal damage.

Taking a deep breath I closed my eyes and allowed my power to run through Raji's body. I slowly but surely mended the organs, creating new tissues. Sweat dripped down my face while I attempted to keep control. To lose it meant to have Raji die when he was so close to being healed.

Maybe you should let him die.

Blood rolled down my chin as I bit my lip hard. I was mending Raji's lung, there was no room for error here. Vae's suggestions were not appreciated.

Once you heal him and do whatever else he wants you to do, he's going to turn on you. He may even group up with the demon hunter, telling her where you live and she'll kill your friends too.

I tried to ignore Vae's thoughts. Even if Raji would betray me, I couldn't leave him there to die after he had helped me in that fight. It would be unhonorable and I couldn't backstab him.

What you don't seem to understand is that it isn't backstabbing. It's self-preservation.

"I don't need your type of self-preservation!" I snapped.

"Talking… to yourself? I knew…you were crazy." I heard Raji speak softly. I had finished healing on autopilot, and he had woken up. He was obviously still weak though, and blood covered both him and my sheets.

I turned my face towards him. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was sliced open by a mad Demon Hunter."

I turned away, searching through my dresser for new sheets. I always kept them there, in case I had a nightmare and ripped them in my sleep. I could Raji's eyes on me, like a weight in the back of my mind.

I turned towards him again, clutching the amethyst sheets in my fist. "You go take a bath while I clean this up. Just call if you need help."

He nodded and raised an eyebrow. "You'll come running to help me?" He asked a bit sarcastically.

"Not quite. I can help you from in here without raping my eyes. Being a half-demon is useful sometimes."

He nodded and slowly made his way to my bathroom, taking careful steps so as not to fall down. I took a deep breath and remade the bed, holding up the bloodied sheets with energy. However, the blood had soaked through my mattress as well, making it necessary to throw that away as well. I moved silently so as not to alert the Titans and took the mattress and sheets to the Jump City dump.

After waving a goodbye to Fixit, I returned to my room, Raji sitting on the ground cross-legged and fully dressed. "How did you get those clothes?"

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." He answered seriously. I chuckled and shook my head, sitting cross-legged across from him. I murmured my chant as he sat there silently, both of us ignoring the slightly awkward air that could only be achieved by two people who had once tried to kill each other.

After a few moments he spoke, breaking me out of my reverie. "Raven, I need your help."

"With your Alethea and Marianna right?"

I could sense Raji nodding and I opened my eyes. He was looking at me seriously. He was worried. I could sense it as if he was shouting it.

"That demon hunter you saw? She's been going around and killing off the 'creatures of evil' as she calls it. Which, in essence might not be a bad thing if she gave them a chance or even let the humans live. She's been going around this city with that scythe of hers killing all demons, vampires and whatnot and especially the humans that interact with them knowingly."

"And she's been attacking them?"

"Not even that much. She's been infecting them."

"What?"

Raji sighed, his eyes downcast.

"She infected my sister, I have no idea how, but that was what Alethea said before she fell as well. It's in their minds, this disease, and it is just meant for demons. I figured you could help, since you are half human and the only one I know who can enter the minds of others."

I shook my head. "Raji, you know-"

I cut myself off when I saw the look in his eyes. They were begging for help, and the promise of unending hate if I didn't at least try. I sighed and shook my head.

"What? You won't even try? How dare you!"

"It's not that Raji, I just need to prepare. A mind-virus? I've never heard of such a thing."

"I have. It was a rare disease…back home. I can tell you wait you need to do, I just need a person who can do it. Please, Raven."

Vae was screaming at me.

Don't help him.

"Raji, if I do this…"

Don't help him.

"Whatever you want, I'll do it."

Don'thelphimDon'thelphimDon'thelphim.

"Fine."

I ignored Vae's shouts of anger, and exited my room. "Everyone should be asleep. Meet me out on the lawn. If you grow too weak, wait and I'll find you."

He nodded and I phased to Robin's room.

He was alert with a weapon out before I was completely there. "Robin."

"Raven? What are you doing here so late, and like this?"

"I'm going to go away for a few days. I'm telling you this because you still remember. This has to do with that."

He frowned, his mask hiding the exact emotions he was feeling, and I didn't bother to search for them. "Will you be fighting?"

"Hopefully not. This will be simple Robin. Nothing to worry about."

"Then why did you tell me about it?"

"So you wouldn't worry and search for me. Trust me, if I wasn't coming back, I would tell you first."

"Fine. You have a week, Raven. Then I'm coming after you."

"Thank you."

He nodded, and I flew to the shore of Titans Tower.

Raji looked dead tired, but he rose upwards anyway. "Did you handle everything?"

I nodded, sweeping us both up into the comforting arms of darkness.

Me: So it seems Vae and Raven have different opinions about Raji. I wonder who is right? I KNOW Raven is a bit too trusting with the man who tried to kill her but it was neccesary to continue the story.