Chapter 29
last chapter Cherie Curie managed to escape to the outside world! All to save the beloved Raven! Who will the small feline turn to in this hour of need? The witch-boy or Zatanna? Find out right here right now! ONWARD TO THE BATTLE FIELD!
Cherie ran as fast as his four legs could manage to run. His target, Gotham City. His dear master was in danger of becoming the victim of some magic thief. Getting help was the only thing that was on the small feline familiar as he ran through the streets, nearly getting run over at least three times before he managed to reach Gotham, never stopping not even once until he finally made it to the center of Gotham City. Finally he stopped to catch his breath. He collapsed from exhaustion; his legs ached from running and his lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. Now where was he supposed to go? He had no way of finding help. He was a cat, no one in this world listened to animals—unless they were feathered and capable of human speech—he had no way of getting in contact with anyone. And even if he could, who should he contact?
Raven had made too many enemies with the justice league and their young partners, if they were to help Raven would end up in Belle Reve. And there was no way in hell he was going to try and contact Klarion. Raven had broken up with him, if Cherie were to try and get a hold of him he'd only try to rip his dear master apart, or worse. Cherie took a deep breath. His only real option was Zatanna, Raven's former friend. She went by Mary during that time, and had lied to Raven about who she was. However, he was his best chance. The female magician had a sort of unhealthy obsession with his master's well being. She could probably help, and with any luck not turn her in. tired, but unwilling to give up, the small white and black cat stood, his small legs wobbled like jell-o, and his was tired beyond belief, the small cat mustered up the last bit of energy he had and took off in search of his master's former friend.
~0~
"Three weeks and still nothing from Raven," Zatanna mumbled as she paced in the living room of her apartment. She was worried still, even if the light hadn't had anything to do, Klarion and Raven were always making some kind of trouble. It was in the Lord of Chaos' nature to create mischief, and Raven usually enjoyed tagging along. However, after that last time she saw her with the girls, she had mentioned the duo were having problems. Did something happen? Maybe the two had gotten into a fight. Maybe Raven was no more?! Zatanna would blame herself if that happened!
"Z, you need to calm down. Stressing out about won't help anyone." Dick said, placing his arms around Zatanna's waist, "Stop stressing. If she really needs your help, she'll come to you."
Zatanna narrowed her eyes. He was trying to help, but it just didn't come out that way in her mind. After all he and the others only met Raven after she tried to level half of Gotham when she first met Klarion. To them, Raven was just another messed up supervillian. Most of the Team just didn't understand that she didn't used to be like that. Suddenly there was a slight screeching noise from outside. The two looked toward their window to see a familiar white and black cat. It stood pawing at the window, meowing.
"Isn't that Raven's cat?" dick asked, Zatanna scowled unwrapping his arms from around her waist and going to the window, "If he's here, Raven must not be far behind."
"If she was she'd have come through the front door. Not have her familiar walk up into a window." Zatanna explained moving to the window and opening it. The small cat yowled and jumped through the opened window and onto a nearby coffee table. There the poor thing began frantically meowing.
"I don't suppose you have a spell or charm to understand him?" he asked, Zatanna shook her head.
"No, I don't." She mumbled. Cherie suddenly paused. He had forgotten that the only person who could understand him was Raven. Anyone outside the bond only saw him as a normal stray cat. How was he ever going to tell them that Raven was in danger? There was no way he could communicate with the duo! Cherie hissed, he was running out of energy, and options. He meowed and jumped down from the table and ran further into the apartment. Zatanna and Dick looked to each other with a confused scowl, but followed the small feline as he ran through the house.
"Cherie, where's Raven?" Zatanna asked, as Cherie paused, for only a moment to meow, then go back to searching.
"I think that's what he's trying to tell us." Dick said. Cherie stopped in his tracks, and looked up at the unmasked hero, and mewed. Dick knelt down and plucked the cat from the ground.
"Is Raven in trouble?" Zatanna asked. Cherie yowled.
"There's no time to get M'gaan to go into the cat's mind." Dick said, turning and walking with Cherie in his arms to his computer and opened up a word document. Cherie mewed, as he was placed down at the keyboard. He paused, Cherie had seen Raven use one of these contraptions before. However he wasn't exactly sure how it worked, but he had to save Raven, and time, he had a decreasing amount of. So he began typing by tapping his paws on the keyboard.
"Raven…Danger…help…" Zatanna read aloud as Cherie Curie did his best to explain the situation to them. Finally finished, Cherie collapsed, out of breath.
"Who's Uriah?" Dick asked, Zatanna went wide eyed.
"She's some witch-boy Raven had been going to as a confidant. At least that's what M'gaan managed to get from reading her mind the last time we saw her." She explained. Cherie looked up at the magician woman, too tired to comment on how wrong that was, "Cherie, you're saying he's keeping Raven hostage?"
Meow
"We need to help her." Zatanna said looking to Dick. He nodded.
"Alright, I'll gather the team and—"
Cherie let out a weak growl of warning. There was no way Raven would end out alright if the entire Young Justice Team were involved.
"I don't think that'd be a good idea. You know how Raven is about the Team. Even if we managed to save her, she'd freak out and disappear again." Zatanna said, "besides, this is some serious magic we're talkin here. We need other magic users. Like Rachel and myself."
"There's no way you and Rachel could possibly be able to do this on your own." Dick said "I'm going to contact M'gaan and the others."
"Alright fine, but not everyone. I don't want to risk Raven running if we manage to save her. ok?" Zatanna asked, Dick nodded. Zatanna then looked to the tired cat, "The poor thing, he must have been running forever to find us."
Cherie's ear twitched as he lied on the desk barely conscious. Zatanna bent forward and placed her hand on the small feline's head and gave him a good scratching behind the ears.
"You did good Cherie, rest now. We'll take care of everything else." She whispered. Cherie mewed, as Zatanna and Dick left the room, and headed for the Cave.
~0~
Suddenly Klarion's small crystal ball lit up with a black glow. The Witch-boy sat up from his seat in his study, with a cocked eyebrow he looked at the now glowing orb. From his lap Teekl mewed up at him.
"That's too small to be Raven's aura. Much too small." Klarion answered. Teekl hissed scolding Klarion to get up and investigate. This aura was too close to his Raven who a few weeks ago had disappeared off the magical map. It was too close to be considered coincidental, Klarion had to seek it out. Otherwise it would bother the duo to the point where they'd get yet another sleepless night.
"Alright already. I'll see what it is." Klarion growled in response, he then snorted, "I knew she would slip up eventually."
Klarion stood over the floating crystal, as he willed it to show the source of the small spike in the magical plane. The ball clouded with red smoke before it showed an image of Raven's familiar Cherie Curie, he was asleep on a desk in some unfamiliar room. Klarion rolled his eyes. Raven must have found some way to mask her aura. Whatever the case it was slipping now, and Klarion had the perfect chance to snatch the girl up and force her to explain why she hadn't been back in three weeks.
"Let's go Teekl." Klarion said with a clever grin as he opened a red vortex that led to the cat's location, and with any luck, Raven's as well. Before entering however Teekl mewed.
"What exactly are you going to do once you find her?" The strange looking tabby asked, looking up at Klarion, who scowled.
"When I find her I'm going to force her back here where she belongs, and after she gives me a damned good explanation for why she left for three weeks," He said, his face growing dark, "Once that reason is out of the way, I'm going to make sure she's unable to leave again."
"Is that really wise?" Teekl questioned, Klarion glared.
"Wise? Who the hell cares about being wise? Raven belongs to me." He said, "And once I find her, I'll make she never forgets that."
~0~
Cherie couldn't help it, he had fallen into a deep sleep. Searching for Zatanna had taken all the energy he had. His lovely master Raven would probably be angry with him if she knew that she had gone to the heroes for help, but it didn't matter. While he slept Zatanna was gathering a small team to help rescue Raven from that bastard Uriah. It was a comforting feeling, knowing that Raven would soon be safe and then he and Raven would be on their way to living on their own—at least that was his plan. The thoughts certainly made it easier for him to rest, if only for a moment.
He certainly didn't understand why his lovely Raven despised her so. She was good to felines, regardless of who they came from—at least so it seemed. In Cherie's book that made the magician woman worthy enough to be trusted. As the cat slept there was a sudden breeze that wafted through the room, followed by a sudden tug on the scruff of his neck. It shook him from his sleep as he was lifted into the air, and was soon face to face with a unwelcomed party. Cherie hissed.
"Hmph, that's no way to greet your master's boyfriend." Klarion snapped as he held Cherie by the scruff of his neck. He had no way of understanding the familiar but he knew that cats only acted that way towards those they did not like, or found threatening, "Speaking of, where is she? Where's my Raven?"
Cherie growled and with his claws out, swatted at the young Lord of Chaos, just missing his face. He couldn't let Klarion know where Raven was, if he did he would just end up hurting her like before! He wouldn't let him do it again, no matter what. He was going to keep Klarion away from Raven, besides, Klarion was what Uriah was after. If he got anywhere close his beloved master would end up in more pain, or perhaps worse. Dead. All because of greed and some foolish vendetta Uriah had against Klarion!
"Is that so?" Teekl mewed, Cherie hissed. He had forgotten that Klarion had the magical cat with him. Teekl could understand him, and relay everything to his master.
"Damn you Teekl! Do not tell him!" Cherie yowled as he fought to get out of Klarion's grip. Klarion's brows arched in interest.
"You seem talkative. Teekl, translation." he commanded Cherie growled a warning to the odd looking tabby. He threatened, tried to make a deal, even went so far as to beg Teekl not to inform his master of what was going on. Finally the white and black feline fell still, and gave Teekl a pleading look.
"Please Teekl, I beg of you, dear Raven will only end up hurt if the Witch-boy intervenes." He mewed. Teekl looked at Cherie Curie, boring deep into the Blue Rafter cat's green eyes with his own crimson ones. After a moment of pause Teekl's tail swished and his ears folded over in annoyance.
"Sorry stray, but the boy you've just mentioned has done some pretty bad things in the past." He mewed swishing his tail back and forth. Klarion scowled, "Uriah has Raven."
"Uriah? Do I know that name?" Klarion asked. To himself mostly. Teekl growled, "Oh right, he's the one who tried to make the Judgment beast years ago. How the hell did HE find out about Raven?!"
Cherie hissed, and swiped at Klarion again, this time nicking his chin, Klarion glared.
"I see you're going to be difficult." He growled, "Well anyway, I suppose I could always ask Raven herself, once I rip the skull from Uriah's head! He will pay for stealing what's mine."
Dun dun DUUN! What will happen next? Who will get to Raven first? Klarion? Or Zatanna? The ending to this chapter was somewhat rushed, I apologize for that. Writing these days has been a bit of a chore. Sorry about that. Well anyhow look forward to the next chapter! See you later armadillos—unless I see you first! Haha! REVIEW! Please?