Darkness imprisoning me
All that I see
Absolute horror
I cannot live
I cannot die
Trapped in myself
Body my holding cell - "One" by Metallica
Three weeks of constant pain and Jake was almost healed. His skin returned to normal. He had no idea how his major organs worked for as longs as they did just they had healed. Now his focus were on his tongue and eyes which honestly he survived without them this long. Proving that they weren't really important after all.
"Focus on sight first," he thought, "that's more important."
Actually they weren't since they were also very sensitive. Healing them was going to hurt like hell. He wanted to see Raven again. See his true motivation. Couple breaths. Hold it. Focus on healing his eyes. Curse of being right. Gripping the bed sheets, he fought through the pain.
Feeling something touching his hand followed by a soft voice reaching his ear, "You can fight through it Jake, you can fight through the pain."
And he was. He wanted to see her face again so much since he didn't bother to remember her face. After a few more minutes, the pain in his eyes faded. His head landed the pillow. Sweat poured from his pores like a sweating pig.
Rubbing his eyes for a moment, then opened them only to be blinded by the light, forcing his eyes lids closed with his hands trying to shield them from the light.
"What's wrong Jake? Give me a sign."
Taking one hand, he indicting where he thought the light was coming from. Then returned his hand back to covering his eyes.
Realizing the problem, "Dante, turn off the lights, it's blinding him," remarked Raven.
A grunt then a click. A moment of letting the healing factor work out the pain, he slowly opened them a second time, and saw a darker room. His eyes still hurt from what light there was, not too much to where he couldn't see. And that first thing he saw, was Raven's concerned face.
Smiling at her, "Good morning, Angel," again she can't read lips and he needed to add some brain cells.
Smiling, "So I guess this means you can see just fine, as long as the light is low.
Nodding, he looked around the room. Dante was near the door with Blade beside him. The hunters gathered near the window with their faces in different looks of emotion. As for the Titans, Cyborg checked the equipment as the others were standing around watching what was going on.
Relaxing his head on the pillow, again he tried mouthing something. Please someone bitch slap him.
Staring Jake with confusion, "Sorry Jake, were you just trying to say something?"
Giving her a look for a moment, he really needed a tongue too bad wasn't going to be too painful. One could've hoped. Focusing his healing factor on his tongue made everyone think he was chewing on something developing confused looks from them.
After a moment, he gave Raven a grin.
For the first time in three months, this came from his mouth, "I said, if someone doesn't give me a shot of whiskey, things wouldn't get any worse." Yes, Jake without a tongue was an improvement.
Laughing, Blade pulled a bottle out from behind his back.
"I knew that would be the first thing he would want."
Blade handed Jake the bottle. Sitting up, Jake unscrewed the cap and took a couple of swigs from the stuff. Laying back onto the bed, he smiled.
"That hit the spot," remarked Jake.
Everyone either rolled their eyes or gave a slight laugh. It felt good to be alive again. And it felt even better to talk and to see to his friends, and more importantly, his girlfriend. Who doesn't wish Jake had stayed died?
Steps echoed down the tunnels that cut through the sand rock. Source of those footsteps passed under one of air tubes. Air and light traveled through them. Right now a rope dropped from the opening. Two figures wearing hoods and a mouth covering slid down the rope. Landing, they checked their soundings. No guards. Closer examination. Their black outfits were tight enough to figure their gender. The male had blue eyes. The female had brown eyes.
Hugging the wall, the female motioned a direction. The male disagreed motioning the opposite direction. Using the body language of a spoiled child, the female thief went the she wanted while her male companion shrugged his shoulders and went the direction he wanted.
Adding distance from that ambitionless fool, what did she see in him besides domineering him in bed. Find some treasure. Then make him earn it.
Checking the third door she worked her way to, it was unlocked. Slowly pushing the door opened. Looking inside, her eyes lit up. Slipping inside, she closed the door then started filling bags with gold and jewels and making mental list of demands for her male companion to perform to earn his share. Fighting to contain her glee enough to notice she had too many bags to carry and that jackass wasn't around.
Settling for eight medium sized bags, she grouped them into pairs of two. She tied the four pairs around her waist like burgling utility pouches.
Noticing a bladeless hilt on a stand, "He can fix it," she thought stuffing it into her pouch.
Wrapping a robe around her body and the bags around her waist, she left the room.
The female thief's male companion kept finding locked doors. Locked door. Locked door. Locked door. Unlocked door. Slowly entering, his ears caught, "Aaaa, the pain!," bringing his attention onto clocked figures surrounding an altar.
On the altar was a woman with a huge belly and legs propped up, screaming, and yelling, "Get it out!"
Her breathing had a rhythmic choo choo to it.
"She's giving birth," popped in his head.
Noticing a statue of reptilian guardian or a warrior, he broke free the bronze staff that a spear. Like a javelin threw it towards the priest, the one giving orders, it pierced him killing and bringing the clocked groups' attention onto him.
Being on the balcony gave him time to escape along with the sticky gushing sounds of the daemon ripping from his womb prison.
Twist and turns of the tunnel led to an air shaft. Looking up, he saw a moonlight night sky. Looking down, a bottomless pit. Gripping a propping sand rock, he worked counterclockwise to forty five degree then climbed up. Ropes dropped past him as he continued up.
"Kill the defiler!" echoed into his ears and brought the guards onto the disguised Jess.
Untying two bags from then wrapping the drawstring around her hands, she slammed them against the temples of the guards. Getting bitched slapped by bags of gold coins wasn't a requirement to join the Moon clan.
The bags ripped open allowing the coins to clang off the rock surface. Kicking a shin, she grabbed a rope then lassoed it around a guard's throat. Kicking him over the edge like a counterweight sent her upwards. Actually she felt something stopping her progress. Turning her head noticed hands clasping two coin bags. Pushing off, they still gripped the bags. Her free hand untied the bags causing her to shot upwards. Reaching Rath's location, she used her foot like a brake stopping her momentum.
"Need a ride, sexy boy," she remarked.
Turning, his left hand gripped section of roped above her hand. Letting go, his face smacked into hers. His blue eyes locked on her brown eyes. They continued upwards. Noticing her smile caused confusion on his face only to widen her smile.
She shot up joining Rath in vertical air shaft. Stopping, they were beside a tunnel. Cool air brushed them. Swinging, their feet caught the edge of the opening. Getting off first, Rath gripped the waist band of Jess's pants. Letting go of the rope, Jess allowed Rath to pull her into the passage. Following the passageway towards the source of air, they discovered the passage getting smaller causing Rath to be leading and then crawling on their hands and knees. Squeezing through a small opening, Jess got struck.
"Wide hips?" replied Rath.
"Fuck off. I'm not fat."
"You're p-h-a-t. Pretty, Hot, And, Tempting."
"Shut up," even though she liked the sound of that.
Gripping her hands until riiiip caused her eyes to show embarrassment. Finally getting through, they discovered the source of the tearing of cloth. Two bags ripped opened leaving two bags intact. Continuing on, the passage got wider allowing them to use their feet. Reaching the exit, they saw the ocean.
Studying smooth surface of the mountain, "Strange escape tunnel," mumbled Rath, "or outlook point," studying then discovering no escape route to climb.
Placing the two remaining bags around Rath's neck, Jess walked backwards into the cave.
Running pass him, "What to live forever?" she shouted sailing off the cliff.
Shrugging his shoulders, he stepped forward then dropped. Being top heavy from the bags, Rath tilted downwards allowing his head to strike the water surface. The impact and the weight dragged him downwards. Letting Davy Jones claim him as a new occupant got prevented by a pair of hands gripping under his arms then carried him upwards. Breaking the surface, they grasped in air. His red headed savior dragged him onto the shore.
Dropping him, she laid beside him. Both breathing hard.
"Thought you hated me?" coughed Rath.
"I'm a woman. I'm allowed to change my mind," getting to her feet, "Here," slapping the bladeless hilt against his chest, "Your reward for losing the gold," walking away.
Looking at the bladeless hilt then her swaying hips, "Curse of Adam," mumbled Rath hurrying after Jess.
It took another week for Jake regain his strength enough to walk. His eyes was able to adjust to normal sunlight without being blinded. Again no improvement. Everyone Raven brought here visited him a couple of times. Nice to see old friends.
Jake moved back into his old room at the end of that week. A send off party was planned for tonight before Raven started sending people back to their homes tomorrow. And everyone was making fun of him and Raven taking forever and a day to get together.
Hazara seemed to be making friends with Blade and Inuyasha, two of the hardest people Jake knew of being hard to talk to or they didn't like talking to him.
Then a speech was demanded of him. Yes, they love being tortured. He groaned as Raven added her voice to the demands. Giving her a dirty look, which she just grinned at, he stood up.
"Ladies, germs, and everyone else. Most of you know that I'm no good with words, so I'll keep it short, but hopefully sweet."
"You mean short but painful!" shouted Spike bringing a couple laughs at his remark.
Staring at Spike, "Only for you, Spike, only for you. Anyway, I know I have said my thanks to everyone, but I want to thank you again. To the visitors, you dropped everything to help someone who you may have only met once. Yet you still helped, so of you putting your own lives on the line to help me."
"Yea," called out Ed with a grin, "well, your girlfriend didn't give us much of a choice anyway."
More laughter.
"Not like you had anything else important, especially with a certain autonomic mechanic," Causing his face to flush bright red with that remark, "Next, the my fellow hunters, who left upon my death, only two return two months later, and be there for support should something having gone wrong in my revival. I am always proud to fight along side you, should you ever need help."
"Hunters don't fight alone if they can help," replied Daria.
"And we sure as hell need all the help we can get, even if you're not going to be an official hunter much longer," finished Etana.
"The truth is I'm going to retire from the organization and become a permanent hunter in this reality, should Trigon, or any other high level demon, try to come through the void that only may have been opened," smiling, "still, thank all of you. And finally, the Teen Titans. What can I say? I became a criminal, thou I had done nothing, and had to fight against you. Then, the Titans disbanded, but the majority were reunited only twenty-four hours afterwards, and still considered me a friend. You've seen what I can become," adding a sad tone, "and you still stood by me. And when I died, you mourned me as a close friend. I again can only say thank you. But to one member, I must truly say thank you," staring at Raven with a kind smile on her face, "Raven, you put more hope into me then anyone has. When no one believed in me, you did. When I died, your mourned for me more then anyone."
Talk about being full of oneself.
"Then you had the visions about me, fighting in hell. I may not remember much, but I do remember that I wasn't fighting to protect the city. I was fight to protect you."
When she smiled, he just grinned.
"And I'm also happy that we're finally official," laughing as she rolled her eyes at him.
Turning back to everyone in the room, "And I'm going to end saying this. When your face down in the dirt, no one to turn to, no one to fight along side you. Then remember this. You've got one of the dirtiest fighters on your side. Don't be afraid to call, don't be afraid to just show up. You are my friends, and I will always back you."
He's better off without a tongue.
Raising his glass, "And I toast to you, my friends. I've got a group of friends I would trust my life with, and they would do the same with me. And for those who don't have friends like that, may the devil damn them," kicking his drink back
"MAY THE DEVIL DAMN THEM!" cheered everyone in the room at the same time.
Returning his glass back on the table, "Now this is supposed to be a party, Cyborg," bringing his attention onto Cyborg, "Why the hell isn't the techno man of this house not blaring music like he should?"
"Booyah, you got it," he said running over to the stereo, trying turn it up to eleven.
People got up and danced to the music. Turning towards Raven allowing her to pull him into a kiss which he didn't minded as a 'thank you' or future sexual harassment.
Pulling back, "That was what I was always hoping for," replied Raven if you like kissing limburger cheese.
Grinning at her, "Then we knew each other more then we thought," the she would look for a better match, "cause I always hoped for the same thing," if he had any brains, he should've stayed in Hell.
His eyes wandered over to Hazara, who was sitting by herself, scanning the group, but not noticing him looking at her with pain in his own eyes.
Following his gaze to Hazara, Raven blinked in confusion.
"Jake, is everything ok between you and her?"
Shaking his head, "She's been through a lot, and Otomo spoke to me about her. I need to have a conversation with her," kissing Raven's forehead, "I love you, but I care about my friends to, and she needs help," leaving Raven.
Staring at his back, Raven returned to her seat to watch others enjoy themselves.
Walking towards Hazara, she gave him a 'what do you want now' look. Hazara, Jake's slow when comes to reading women.
"We need to talk about a few things," he said causing her to roll her eyes.
Holding her hand out, "No, I want to hear your voice, follow me."
She followed him to his room, which he had setup so it was airtight from the inside, so the poison couldn't affect anyone. Walking in, she took a seat on the edge of his bed, removing her bridle. Ok, let's call it a facemask.
"The reason we are having this little chat is because Otomo told me that you had some, how should I put this," Jake said pulling a chair from under his workbench, "concerns with the way you have been treated," sitting down, "And, I need to tell you something. All of my training says that I must trust the people I work with. And the easiest way I can trust someone is by them telling me of their opinion if they don't like something I'm doing. Remember when I called Lady, you asked that I wouldn't, and haven't since. You told me a problem you had, and I stopped," looking right in her eyes, "Now, I want you to start with any problems with me involving anything I have told you, and if I had reason behind it, I will tell you those reasons."
He does talk without listening, doesn't he.
Looking at him, "You tell me to trust people, Jake, but I can't trust people that can't trust me. I don't want their secrets, and they don't want mine. That's for safety reasons and I believe you should know why by now," pausing, "and as for you, I can't remember having you telling me something that troubled me, but stop putting so much trust on me. You're only wasting your time," looking away.
Pointing his finger at her, "But I want to trust you. I want to be able to depend on you when our backs against a wall. You don't have to tell me your secrets unless you want to. As for wasting my time in putting my trust in you, I put trust into all my friends. That little speech a little bit ago should have proven that much to you."
Refusing to look at him, "If you want to depend on me in a battle, that's okay, you know I'll keep fighting as long as there is air in my lungs. And that speech proved you trust your friends, true. But don't consider me your friend, as long as I have to wear that bridle you never know what can happen next."
Grinning, "What about not wearing that bridle?"
Still not looking at him, "The curse is still here, even though you are not affected," she said.
"But I don't have to be the only person how feels the same way. I know how both Otomo and Etana feel bad about you wearing that facemask. And how so many people seem to look down on you because they see it as a bridle for some animal. If you want, I can pull some strings that can ether remake your bridle so you can't take it off in battle, or myself or Cyborg, who practically doesn't breath, since he's mostly machine, can put something together that acts as a filter and have it implanted in you."
Quickly standing up, "He placed a curse upon me and it was because he wanted me to belong to no one else until either I or he dies. I am weak, you've seen how a level 12 demon was able to trouble my mind, but I can't accept help. I killed Luana's parents, her friends, hell, I killed everything that crossed my path. and I don't regret it, but she does. and this is something I must do on my own. And I don't care if I die, but you know that besides my recruiter still haven't fulfilled her promise to remove the curse."
"Your recruiter?"
"Yes, my recruiter she promised to have the curse looked into. Didn't see or hear from her again until she sent me to help you."
"Huh," grinning at her while still seated, "again, you didn't have to tell me your secret and why you were cursed, but thank you for doing so. As for having trouble fighting that level 12, I will admit, I am partially at fault since I gave you an order to fight it from behind which has been the only thing Otomo has told me. And your right, I know you don't care if you die, but think about the other people you've been around for so long. Etana sees you as a little sister, and Otomo sees more in you then whatever some demon saw. Hell, when I was still recovering, Otomo would just go on about how much he worried that you won't walk away from the next fight you were in. You may think you have to fight alone, but you don't. You've got at least two people, not including myself, who are going to fight by your side no matter how much you hate it because they care about you because they want to see you still breathing at the next sunset, and again the next sunrise," letting her take it in, "You may not like it, but I am going to call you a friend. I will put my trust in you. And you find the next time you don't like an order I give, or if in some way," standing up, "I'm treating you poorly, you tell me," looking her in the eye only for her to avoid his gaze, "And you are right, I should know about how dangerous secrets can be. But sometimes, trusting people with your secrets can save your life, and that goes double when you share those secrets with your friends. They are the one thing that makes the worlds we go to bearable, why do you think I've got so many friends, so many people who trust me. Hell, even a few of them have seen what I can do if I go into a rage state, and they only think I'm better in a fight when I use it, or they think about the control I have over it."
Think he's done, wrong! More torture coming.
Turning to leave, "Think about what I've said to you. And my offer is super glued to the table, so if you ever want a voice around other people," getting up, "give me a shout," opening the door, "I die for my friends, even if they don't call me a friend," leaving her in his room.
Closing the door, he hoped that she would at least think of a life without so much blood.
He already saw too much of it. Just not enough of his though.
