1
After a week, tracking thru less traveled paths, Garfield and Alfred had located the fighting force. They were surprised at how small it was. Only fifty men.
It was Alfred who came up with the tactic. He took half of their warriors–about fifty and headed north of the enemy's encampment. While Garfield took the remaining warriors and headed south.
The enemy's encampment wasn't as much an encampment as it was a village. Burnt and pillaged, its people put to the sword. At high noon they attacked.
Garfield and his troops burst out of the forest in a spray of arrows. Garfield in the shape of a bear. They lunged at the enemy. Taking them by surprise. Then, half a minute later Alfred attacked from behind. Soon the enemy soldiers surrendered.
...
Only a few hours north of Manchuria, Richard and Starfire met their target. Five hundred men, marching along the king's road. First, Starfire fired a warning shot, ordering them to stop their despicable behavior. Which was met with jeers and laughter.
Then, a man dressed as a scarecrow stepped forth and declared: "Everyone should face their fears, it makes you grow!"
He then threw a small cylindrical object at her, made out of metal and wood. Out of it poured smoke. Richard was fast and covered his nose and mouth. Starfire, bewildered by the strange man breathed it all in.
Unfortunately for the scarecrow, Starfire had long ago mastered her fears. So, when the five hundred soldiers in the mind`s eye became soldiers of Hell and the scarecrow a giant wolf, she did not flee in terror or begin to weep. Starfire attacked.
Soon the small army was running south. The scarecrow in the front, while a desperate Richard tried to stop Starfire ending them all.
...
Victor met the marching army at Hebden bridge. He made a terrifying sight. A giant brought to life. Fully armed, with a long sword, an iron cast helmet, and full body armor.
"None shall pass" he declared.
Then, something stepped forth. A cross between a salamander and a man.
"You think you can stand in My way!?" asked the beast.
Victor answered, by raising his sword and firing off an iron spear.
As the two began fighting, Wally began his part of their plan. The army was busy cheering their commander on. Did not notice, that one after another, suddenly disappeared into thin air.
In short: Victor and Wally's plan worked brilliantly.
Victor slew the man-salamander thing, with a final stroke to its neck, and Wally managed to take all the soldiers. Even those who realized their comrades were disappearing and ran into the forest were powerless. No one outran Wally. He threw them into a nearby pit, where Cauldor`s men could pick them up later.
2
Six dead, eight wounded. Alfred never liked when somebody died. But, in a battle followed casualties. Besides, the other side had fared far worse. What had once been fifty men, were now twenty, over half were wounded. They were made to dig graves, before being tied up.
Garfield had begun interviewing the survivors. One girl especially took his focus. She was or at least had been very beautiful. That was before the joker's men got to her. It was hard for him to ignore the eye socket.
"They came to our village five days ago," she said, crying. "They killed my father, mother, and my brother and my older sister, but they liked me."
She was wearing a jester`s costume. Its bells rang whenever she spoke.
"It is over now," said Garfield.
"No it isn't," she bit her lip. "This morning, they marched east. There is another village in that direction. When they get back...You have to stop them. Please!" she begged.
"You have my word. We will stop them" promised Garfield.
Turning to Alfred he said: "There is another group of these bastards going east towards another village. I need to stop them."
"Go, but leave me ten soldiers. The villagers are still scared. They need food and medicine."
After Garfield headed east. Alfred began treating the survivors, while the soldiers began preparing food and rebuilding.
It was mostly bruises and some small cuts. Some had broken an arm or a leg, but Alfred treated the wounds and explained how broken bones were mended.
Down the line, he came to the girl in the jester outfit. The one who had lost her eye.
"How does it feel?" asked Alfred, pouring water into the girl's eye.
"Itchy."
"And now?" he put some pressure on it.
"Please stop," she asked, biting her lip. Alfred immediately released his grip.
"How long is it since you lost your eye?"
"Five days."
´Strange, the wound looks much older` he thought, only then noticing the other villagers looking in their direction. Looking at him in pity and sorrow, and at her in fear. He looked at the girl again.
She smiled and stuck out her tongue. "I see you are beginning to catch on"
Alfred stood up. Pushed the girl away and drew his sword. She began thrashing around in the mud, laughing hysterically. Her bells rang in his ear. Then, the arrows began flying.
One after the other his people were hit. They sought cover from the storm, but the entire village lay open. One threw himself to the ground but was still hit with arrow after arrow. In anger, Alfred turned to the girl.
"WHO ARE YOU?"
She only laughed. He struck at her with his sword, slashing her arm.
"Giving me love bites? I think you are a bit old for me!" she spat, before spinning her body around and kicking him hard in his legs.
Alfred hit the ground hard. Quickly he rolled over to his stomach and tried to push himself up with his arms, but he was pushed straight down again. By the girl who by then had begun jumping on him. Screaming in ecstasy, laughing at a joke only she understood.
3
"Fucking bushes," Jinx swore, having walked straight into a thornbush. The mule looked sideways at her. "What!?" It continued walking.
Since leaving Jump, her wounds had fully healed and were no more than scars. She still felt tired but knew she was strong enough to make a difference. The biggest problem was her impatience. She knew they would be rushing, wanting to save as many villagers as possible, but she had not expected it would take so long to catch up with them. Having slept no more than three hours each night and only stopped for lunch and or a bathroom break. Jinx was tired, grumpy, and had begun speaking with herself.
The tracks ahead of her split. "Great! Which way to go? Hmm eeny meeny miny," Jinx counted to herself, then the mule walked ahead. Following the tracks leading north. "I follow you great mule!"
...
After a while, Jinx noticed that the birds had stopped singing. In the distance, she could hear voices. Soft and indiscernible. She tied the mule off to a three, donned her armor, and snuck forward.
Now she could see the trees beginning to thin. There were tracks, a sign of people, and when she listened carefully she could hear some of what the voices said. Words like "Please" and "You promised" or straight-up laughter.
Jinx began running. Ahead of her the trees thinned. Revealing a village. She stopped by the forest edge to see what was happening.
"No, I said I would let your children go if you did as I said. I never specified when and where," A woman dressed in a jesters outfit said. She was surrounded by over a hundred armed men, facing a smaller group of villagers. "It is not my problem if they are eaten by wolves, or a bear or an adder or a bird, maybe a demon finds them?! Wouldnt that be fun."
"You are a monster!" a woman with dark hair said.
The woman in the jester outfit shrugged, and Jinx noticed she was missing an eye. "If I were you I would begin searching"
The woman shook in fury, before turning around and running into the forest. Followed by the other villagers.
"That should keep them busy for a while. Now, bring forth the prisoner. I want to see his eyes." Two of the soldiers dragged Alfred forward.
Seeing the old butler captured, Jinx felt a pang of foreboding and began preparing a hex bolt.
"My allies will soon be back," Alfred promised through gritted teeth.
The girl smiled "By then we will be long gone. Now let me see your eyes." She grabbed his head and looked into the burning pits that had been Alfred`s eyes ever since Raven cured him. The girl looked perplexed, curious. Like a baby exploring the world. She touched one of the fire pits with her thumb.
"Aww Aww Aww," she screamed, jumping up. Holding her finger up in the air, then put it into her mouth while running in circles. All the soldiers laughed at her, Alfred looked smugly at her, and her face turned red with fury. She breathed in through her nostrils, calming herself.
As a medicine woman talking to a patient she said: "I see your problem, your eyes are burning. Very harmful, very painful. In the worst-case scenario, it can spread to the entire body and in some instances even cause death. I suggest we begin treating you straight away...BRING ME A BUCKET OF WATER!"
A group of soldiers came with a big bucket, filled to the rim with water. Two soldiers pushed Alfred forward.
"Now, it is important that you don't fight us. The sooner you give up too our treatment the quicker you are cured!"
The soldiers ducked Alfred under. Jinx could see the old man fight his captors but to no avail.
So, without any real plan, only the goal of saving the old man from drowning. Jinx charged forward, sword drawn, firing hexes. The first hit the girl. She was thrown up into the air, out of sight. The next was a soldier holding Alfred. He died instantly, so did the next and the next thereafter.
Having felled eight of them, Jinx reached the soldiers and began weaving her way around them. Several times she felt their sword on her armor, but none pierced it. Then, something hard hit her helmet. Smashing her to the ground. Rolling over she saw the girl standing above her. Holding an iron club.
´That's impossible my hex should have killed her` thought Jinx. She didn't have much time to ponder the subject, however, as the girl began pummeling her with the iron bat. Jinx praised Victor for making such good armor. The bat hurt like hell, but it didn't break any bones.
Jinx raised her left hand to fire at the girl, but a soldier stepped on it. She raised her right, but with the same result. The girl dropped the club and lay down on top of Jinx. Their faces were mere inches apart. Jinx spat in the girl's face.
The girl laughed and then licked Jinx's face, slobbered all over her lips, and very gently bit her nose.
"So you are the one who killed Garth."
"What of it?"
"Ha, you admit it! Ohh, this is my happy day. Not my not my! A happy day. When we heard he had been killed. Master was furious. He was very mad that day. He killed all of the fisherman's soldiers, servants, and boy whores, but now. I will take you to Arkham, and he will be happy again. He will smile again! We will laugh and everything will be jolly!"
Jinx stared wide-eyed at the girl. ´she is as crazy as he is.`
"Now, I didn't know who Richard would send after me. Honestly, I was hoping he would come himself, but you are a very very good second. Bring me the yarn."
Two soldiers standing to the side came with a roll of yarn, as thin as silk.
"You think that's going to hold me?" asked Jinx.
The girl laughed, stood up. While the soldiers standing on Jinx`s hand pulled her up and forced her hands behind her back. The girl then tied Jinx`s hand together with the yarn and released her.
"Now, try to get loose"
Jinx was mad, she sent all her power to her hands, but nothing happened. "What is this?" asked Jinx.
"Just a little gift from Morgana le fay," The girl then clapped her hands and turned around as a soldier dragged Jinx away by her hair. "Let`s cure our patient."
Two soldiers dragged Alfred forward, while another brought a bucket. He looked at Jinx in sorrow. "Tell Richard not to blame himself."
"Put him in." ordered the girl.
4
Jinx cried. For Alfred. After the bastards had drowned him, the girl had shrugged and said "Whoops."
They hadn't even buried him. Only left him in the dirt.
Jinx promised herself she would kill the crazy girl.
...
"I am sorry we killed your friend. It was an accident, you see he had this sickness that made his eyes burn."
The girl was walking next to the wooden cage they kept Jinx in.
Jinx didn't answer.
The girl pouted "Don't want to speak?"
"What is your name?" asked Jinx.
"Why do you wanna know?" asked the girl.
"So I know who to ask for If I ever lose sight of you."
"Hmm, you can call me Jester. That's what everyone else calls me"
"Jester?"
"Jepp."
"What sort of name is that?"
"Don't ask me. It's just like; ´Jester, dance` or ´Jester, come here` or ´Jester clean the floor` I guess that's my name because that is what they call me."
Jinx looked down on the ground below her. "I will kill you"
"Ahh, that's what they all say. But, I am still here" she said. Jumping back and forth, dancing, shaking her hands.
Jinx only looked at her.
...
After a while Jester said: "You remind me of someone, you know that?"
"Who?"
"I can't remember her name. Oh oh, I know. She was really fun. She was master's masterpiece. If only I could remember her name."
Jester began hitting her own face, trying to remember.
Then an arrow flew beside her face and hit one of the men carrying the cage. Jinx felt herself fall forward, as another arrow hit one carrying from behind. The two remaining carriers dropped the cage altogether and drew their swords. But already the air was full of arrows hitting their targets.
Then out of the forest, a massive green bear charged followed by rows of rebel soldiers. Garfield came straight at the cage. Jester jumped to the side and hit the bear with her bat. Garfield swiped her away with her paw and smashed open the cage. Jinx was quick and turned around. Presenting her bound arms to Garfield. He slashed the yarn, and Jinx immediately turned to Jester, who lay prone on the ground.
"No, no, no, no," said Jester, crawling backward. Jinx jumped on top of her and hit her in the face. Over and over. Breaking the girl's nose and teeth.
Jester tried to fight back. But Jinx swatted her hands away. Until Jester began to laugh hysterically.
"I remember now. Her name was Raven! I remember. HAHAHAHAHAHA"
Jinx knocked her out.
AN: This is one of the chapters I have been working towards. I really like Alfred. I think he is a cool character, and I am sorry I had to kill him. Especially in such a horrible way. But, it was necessary, to introduce Jester.
ShikaIno1 chapter 4 . Mar 13
Three fighting forces, huh? Now I'm starting to wonder if they brainwashed Raven to help their cause because if so, The Titans are in BIG trouble.
ANSWER: Thank you for the review. It really helps my motivation. Now, I bet you have some more ideas. I will just say theoretically. If they had brainwashed Raven AND she still had the same powers I presented her within Part 1, they would not be in big trouble, they would be in world-shattering demon-level trouble. Luckily, for everyone, that's not the cause. That would be a one-chapter story, with Raven just killing everyone in a horrible way and securing the throne for Morgana.