I Come, a Boy

Steel City

He looked out the window to see the city below. It was a concrete jungle that seemed to stretch for miles. Factories were active, causing the smoke and gas to block the sun from shining. He watched as he passed Titans East and deeper into the heart of the urban jungle. He was looking for Brother Blood, who was defeated here. 'He is back.' John thought as he pressed a button on a panel. It was a topographic camera that measured the nearby area. "Flat," he said aloud, "I should have known."

He was riding in a jet that was to stop at Steel City for fuel and to turn around. He left the others at home because he wanted to do his business. He knew the other Ravens would be a handful for the others. He had brought one suit case just in case he had to stay longer than a day. As the jet landed, he sighed as he thought of what he had to do. He looked back out the window and stared the city as it seemed to linger as a lost soul in some remote woods. It stuck out, but in a haunting manner. He watched as the clouds grew greater.

As the plane rode to a passage way for passengers, John stood and got his suit case and rolled it towards the door. He was the only person traveling on the aircraft to Steel City, and enjoyed the kind service on the ride. The girls who served him seemed to be attracted to him, but he assured them he was taken. They wanted to feel his muscles, giving him a good chuckle as he let them. They were good company to John, but he missed Raven. They sighed as they watched him open the door to leave. Taking only a few moments, he looked back to them and gave them a "Good bye." Nearly fainting, they watched him with love and compassion as he walked through the door and into the airport.

He walked through the nearly dead airport that seemed to be forgotten. He walked out of the building and to city hall. He walked the empty streets that seemed abandon and alone. He tried to breathe, but it felt like smoking as he walked. Opening his front pocket of his suitcase, he pulled out a gas mask and wore it as he trudged through the streets. He passed many cars that were late 1900s models. They hadn't been used in years. He sighed as he found city hall. Walking up the old stairs, he kept his gaze in front of him as he reached the door. He pulled out a pistol from his pocket on his ACU's pants and busted the door down with his foot. He aimed keeping his gaze strait. He held a flashlight in his left hand; aiming with his right.

Walking around the front desk, he looked into each room down a long hallway and reached the main office and waited to open it. He heard someone talking to someone else. He stepped back and kicked the door down. Aiming in case of a hostel, two children down to the floor and pushed to the corner in fear. John lowered the gun and walked slowly and calmly to the two children. "It's okay," he assured them, "I won't hurt you." A child's eyes got big as she pointed behind John; "But he will!"

John quickly turned to catch the gaze of Brother Blood as he punched John. Stumbling back, he recovered and rammed him. Grappling the half human, half robot, John pushed Jacob into the wall behind him, making the building shudder of weakness and flung Jacob over a desk. "I didn't know you would come." He mumbled as he rose to eye John. He quickly pulled the gun to aim at Jacob. "You don't want to kill me in front of the children, do you?" John shook his head as he dropped the gun and ran at Jacob. Ramming him, John pushed him through a wall and into a desk. Jacob picked him up and threw him back to where he dropped the gun. The two children ran to John as he exhaled in pain. Jacob walked closer as he grinned at John. Picking up the soldier, he flung him into the wall and left a large indent. Now bleeding, John slowly rose as he ran back at Jacob, to only be pushed aside and into a table.

He recovered quickly as he gave Jacob a powerful right hook into the face, sending the cyborg spiraling back into a wall. John walked closer as he eyed the man and was caught off guard by the rapid punches to his stomach and chest. The barrage of punches ended with one last blow to the face. Flying back, John cried in pain as he lifted himself to his hands and knees. He wiped the blood from his mouth and eyed Jacob. "I come a boy," he coughed out the words that brought blood from his mouth, "but I will leave a man." He sprang to his feet and grabbed the cyborg by the neck with his right arm. Placing his left on Jacob's chest, he grinned as he carried him next to a window. "I'm just going to repay the favor."

Focusing his anger, he felt his strength leave him as his left arm grew black and a beam of dark energy shot from his palm, through Jacob, and into the sky. Without a breath, Jacob stumbled back as John eyed him. "I, I," he stammered, "deserved it. Magic had taken my soul." His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell two three stories and landed hard on his back. John turned to eye the children. He got a better look at them; it was a young boy and a girl. The boy was about five and had blond hair that seemed flat on his head. He had a water bottle in his hand and handed it to John. The girl was about eight with her hair bradded. She looked at John as he took the water bottle from the young boy.

"Thank you." John told him as he looked at the amount in the bottle. There was only about eight drops left. John smiled at the young kids and put it in his pocket. He reached out his hands to the two, and in response, they took them. He gently held them as he led them out of the city hall and to a water pump. Using his last bit of strength, he pumped the kids a full water bottle and a canteen. He gave the boy the water bottle and the girl his canteen. With a smile, he led them through the streets to a house that was well built. A light was on with shadows that dashed in and out. He knocked on the door and stepped back. A woman quickly answered the door and awed at the children. She then thanked John for bringing them home safely. He smiled as he watched the kids went to their mother and waved good bye to John. He waved back as he stepped down the stairs and walked down the road.

Two Days Later…

Titan's Tower

"Where is he!?" Beast Boy shouted as he looked out the window and searched for John. John was expected to stay for only one day. It had been three since he left. Raven sat on the couch along with BB and the other Ravens who waited patiently for his return. Cyborg and Robin were in the kitchen cooking lunch and Starfire was in her bedroom trying to decide if she should dress up for "the feast of mid-day". They were making spaghetti, what Cyborg requested. Beast Boy, predictably, only wanted the noodles and tomato paste. Cyborg scolded him for not wanting the meat with it.

The Ravens and Beast Boy watched the Military Channel; a special came on about combat in today's battlefields came on. Raven sighed as she watched nearly breaking down thinking about John. Cyborg was gloating about beating Robin's best time on the training course earlier that day. Robin stayed a good sport and went with it. Timid was apologizing to Beast Boy about calling him stupid and brainless. Brave called out Hurrahs every time a bad guy was taken down on the TV. The door slid open followed by thuds of boots.

Everyone turned to eye the tired and exhausted John. His suit was torn and ripped from fragments of iron and steel that ripped his suit. His mouth was stained red from blood and his body was sweating frantically as he got used to the heat once again. His left palm was tainted grey from using the dark magic within him on Jacob. "Steel City now has no missing child, and…" he stopped to swallow. He didn't know how to tell them the news. "And, Brother Blood is dead." He rubbed his left arm as he eyed Raven. His face sunk as he limped down the stairs and to Raven, who stood on her knees on the couch.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and tilted her head to try and catch his gaze. Looking up to her, he let a tear run free down his face. He kissed Raven as she got closer. Everyone watched in silence as John and Raven finished. He sighed as he limped around the couch and sat next to Raven. "I never thought that children would get lost in that ghost town." He mumbled as he eyed Raven. She eyed him back as she wiped away some blood from John's mouth. They smiled at each other as he brushed the hair in her face back. They chuckled together happily as their love grew stronger. John was looking forward to the night, at least he could sleep in a bed, plus he got to sleep with his girl.

'Every man,' John once wrote in his note book, 'has a life. One decision will lead to another. I chose to use my life for the better of good. Although there is a demon in all of us, I try to keep mine down as well as possible. I love Raven, and I don't want to hurt her in any way. I would travel to every end of Earth to save her, and if I had to, I would.'