CHAPTER 10

Hiei didn't see anymore of the cloaked things as he made his way through the underground world. He wasn't sure what that ment but he hoped it didn't have anything to do with Raven. But it most likely is, he realized. It usually is. He'd run into enough situations like this to know when silence wasn't always a good thing. They're going to do something to Raven, but what? What are they planning? Why do they need her anyway? Why is she so important to these things? What are they after?

He stopped to listen for a moment. Somewhere in this underground world someone or a lot of someones were chanting. What the hell? Curiousity got the best of him and he totally forgot about his promise to Slade to find Terra. He ran toward the sounds.

Raven was led into an open area that looked like the town square. Immediately she noticed a huge pentigram in the ground and couldn't help staring. What is this? she wondered.

The one cloaked figure gave her a look but gave no explaination as he led her toward it. She wasn't sure what it was but she felt a cold chill run up her spine as they neared it. She tried to turn away from it but the figure tightened its grip on her arm and kept her from going anywhere. "What are you going to do?" she asked, feeling a dred wash over her.

"We're not going to do anything," the thing replied. "It's what you're going to do."
"What I'm going to do?"

She got no answer. When they reached the cneter of the pentigram, the thing thrust her toward it. She landed ontop of it and as she got up she realized she couldn't go any farther. What's this?

The thing joined the other figures standing around the symbol and began chanting in a strange language.

Starfire and Kurama were not running into the trouble Hiei had run into when he'd entered the underworld of the city, infact things for them were downright boring. "Are you sure whatever took Raven is down here?" the red haired alien girl asked the fox demon.

Kurama nodded. "Yes," he replied. "I can sense them."

"Them? You mean there's more than one?"

"Yes," he replied. "there are many."

Starfire didn't like that answer, She felt chills running up and down her spine and grabbed Kurama's arm out of reflex. Sher wanted to stay close to him so she wouldn't lose her courage. His presense helped her stay calm, just like when Robin was by her side, only this felt different. She felt safe, not that she'd tell him that, not right now anyway.

"How much further do we have to go?" she asked after a few minutes.

Kurama, who had never been to this place before, shrugged. "I don't know," he replied. "But it can't be much further."

Starfire said nothing but she couldn't help getting the feeling that something bad was about to happen soon.

Hiei followed the sound of the chanting into the city square. When he saw what was going on he froze for a moment, not sure what he was seeing. It looked like some sort of satantic ritual only there was no blood being passed around or animal legs. All he saw was a pentagram in the floor and... Raven! What the hell?!

"Raven!" he called out without thinking.

The chanting stopped and the creatures looked at him. He froze when he saw their four glowing eyes under the shadows of their hoods. They glared at him, seemingly angry that he had interfered with their ritual. He didn't really care. Whatever they were doing involved Raven and he wasn't about to let them get away with it. Metal sang as he unsheathed his sword.

The lead hooded figure looked at Hiei mildly and said. "I see you have come to join in the ritual, Dark Dragon Master."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded, getting into a fighter's stance. "What the hell is this? Some kind of cult? Don't tell me next you're going to be drinking blood."

"We would never do something as distasteful as that," the figure replied. "But this is a ritual and we need to get this over with."

"Get what over with?" he demanded eyeing all the figures then looking at Raven who stared at him in horror. "What are you planning on doing?"

"We're giving the One the power he needs to return to us," the figure replied.

"And Raven had that power?"

"She was born with it," the thing replied. "And now it's time to summon our Master!" the thing turned back to Raven and began to wave his cloaked hands around as he chanted loudly in some other langauge.

Suddenly a portal opened above Raven and she stared to get sucked in. "Raven!" Hiei shouted, making a move toward her.

The things tried to stop him but he cut them up. He sprinted toward the pentagram and cut up anything that tried to stop him. He was only a few feet away from the spot when he heard a voice call his name from behind. "Hiei!" he glanced over his shoulder long enough to see his friend Kurama and the girl Starfire step into the square. How did he get here? he wondered.

"Hiei!" Kurama shouted, running toward them. "DON'T!"

Too late. Hiei jumped off the ground and entered the area inside the pentagram. He grabbed Raven's hand but that was all he could do. He started to be pulled in with her.

"Hiei!" Raven shouted. "Let go! If you stay here you'll be sucked in with me!"

He ground his teeth and held on tighter. "I'm not letting you go again," he told her. "Never!" He pulled her toward him and held her in his arms. "Whatever is going to happen we'll deal with it together."

Raven looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Hiei.." she said.

Kurama had almost reached the portal when he was surrounded by robes. "Rose wip!" he shouted, killing the robes with his weapon. Just as the last robe fell he saw Hiei and Raven enter the portal. With a flash of light it closed and vanished as if it had never been there. The fox demon stared at the ceiling, not sure what he had just seen. Hiei and Raven were gone.

"Hiei!" he shouted, not believing that the moment he'd found his friend he lost him again. "Hiei!"

A/N

I finally updated. Just to let you all know this story is almost over. I enjoyed writing it but this chapter seems a little, ify, if you know what I mean. You know, I just now came up with what they wanted Raven for. How pathetic is that? I am so sorry if I'm making people out of character, I'm tired.