Greetings one and all! I could say all sorts of things, but really the reason I haven't updated is because I lost my motivation. But there are people who want to see what's next. So I will fulfill the unspoken promise to finish.
In addition to thanking all of those who have read and have put this on alert I wish to encourage everyone to read the story by General Havoc called The Measure of a Titan. It is the best work I have ever seen in a non-published fiction setting.
"Hope is what persists even through the flames of Hell. It comes out all the more valuable after the flames have cured it with malice and will be held onto all the more dearly by those who need it. Those who know they need it." Agent of the Divine One
The arrival at Titans Tower was a hurried affair. Unceremoniously dumping the bodies of the fallen Titan's onto the nearest beds to our point of arrival.
I left Cyborg's treatment to Robin being that he was the most qualified. Otherwise I did what I could to suture Beast Boy's hamstrings while Robin ordered Raven to use what energy she had left to heal the punctures in Starfire's heart. Then once bandages were applied to the medial semitendinosus I slumped against the wall and heaved a sigh. I knew there were going to be challenges, but come on! I'm a warrior not a surgeon! (1)
"You want to tell me just why those things handed our butts to us?" I couldn't help but chuckle. Humans may be the dominant species, but being the most intelligent is only by the grace of God.
Bam! My body hit the wall in Robin's iron grip. "I'm not in the mood for games Lucifer! My team went down like water in the throat of a man dying of thirst! I want to know why and you will tell me!"
"Now Robin that's just plain rude." I was taught to be patient, but even I have my limits. So I very calmly lashed onto his forearms and brought them down so they were parallel to the floor. If it wasn't for the scowl on his face Robin could have been a man in fervent prayer.
"Listen...Robin. I was living on this Earth before I was put into more active service under God's command. I served people whatever they wanted. Burgers, salads, chicken, fries and more. And I tried to do it with a smile, oh yes I did. But the fact is that ever so slowly I realized that no matter what I did I could never give them what they wanted. And do you know why Robin?"
His scowl only deepened. "Humor me." I grinned with the rush that anger brings. "Because they are dominated by Sin. Their sins have names such as gluttony, sloth and anger. Those are the biggest ones of those who are thorns in my side!" Here I bared my teeth and hissed out that last syllable. It lasts for so little time, but it always feels good to vent about the putrid masses of humanity.
"Now, are you still nursing the desire to kill me for something I didn't do or can you exhibit some level of self control?" His expression never altered, but the tension in his arms disappeared and I let him pull away from my grasp.
"Thank you. Now..." Cyrborg was the closest so I started by holding my hand open in his direction. "Cyborgs dominant sin is the most obvious. Gluttony. Consuming food like a mulcher set on 'gorge'."
I rolled my palm towards the next patient. "Starfire's is envy. Envy towards those who are more familiar with Earth, those who are more widely accepted and those who were born on this planet and all that entails."
I stroked my chin with my hand as I regarded Raven. Her demon not being as obvious, but no less powerful. "Raven's demon is greed. Not in the sense that she hoards possessions or anything monetary value. Rather it takes place in the form of victories. She must be right. Even if it is to her detriment."
For Beast Boy I simply thudded against the wall with my arms crossed. "Beast Boy's will surprise you. His demon is anger. Anger at the team for thinking so little of him, anger at villains for making him look like a fool, but mostly anger at himself for his perceived shortcomings of which he has many for himself."
I cast my gaze right into Robins mask as I spoke my words in a low and piercing tone. "I'm sure you can guess by now what your sin is Robin, but I will say it anyway. It is pride. The persistent belief that you know best. That no one else can possibly grasp the severity of a situation or offer a workable solution."
"So that wasn't just a fight with demons, but a match made in hell?" Right to the point. That would definitely help things to go faster.
"Exactly! Looks like you weren't made the leader of the team just for you fashion sense." Now I should give Robin some credit. He didn't blow up at me or pin me to a wall like last time. Rather he had a bemused expression on his face. "You know for a guy who's supposed to be a servant of God you have a serious lack of people skills."
I started out with snorting through my nose, but I couldn't contain my laughter and was soon clutching my gut with my head thrown back and laughter echoing off the walls. Robin of course failed to see just what was so funny so I thought I would humor him.
"You'll have to forgive me Robin, but I never find it amusing when someone makes that observation. You see it is a common misconception that when you become a servant of God that all your problems are solved. That is a lie straight from the pit of Hell. What is true is that the problems you experience pale in comparison to the wealth that you have in Christ Jesus." I released a weary sigh as my memories came to the surface. "But even with the riches of God it is a struggle to live day to day." Robin didn't miss a beat. "How so?"
I shook my head to bring myself back to the present. "Nevermind that. Your effort should be focused on this." I tossed him the bible I kept in my left breast pocket, just over my heart. "Look in the concordance for references to "Christ" and "Messiah". I turned to leave with my coat swishing into place. "I'll be giving the punching bag an extended dose of knuckles."
Just after the fight with the Titans and I was feeling good. But I wasn't driving anything fancy, I didn't have a vehicle that popped out of nowhere or modified from something I had earlier in life. I was walking. Yes, walking. Anything else is just coasting through life, waiting for something exciting to happen. It's only when you're walking that you truly have victory wherever you go.
Thankfully it wasn't a long walk to a local watering hole. Wallow was showed in all it's glory with a flickering green neon sign flickering like a beacon for drowning souls. The outside bouncer whipped his head to look at me, but the person at the head of the line captured his attention with their whining. Gotta love America.
"Hey you got some ID pal?" The bouncer in side was going to take some work. He put his hand on my shirt, now that irked me a bit, but that was okay. What he said next though...not cool. "You get kicked out of a biker gang or what?"
"CRACK!"
He found himself cradling a dislocated jaw after that. But of course people just didn't get the message!
Two of his security buddies came over and leveled their guns at my head. "BOOM!" Two holes appeared, one in my cheek and one dead center in my forehead. But just like a copy of Halo three it was gone in a matter of seconds, just like it had never happened.
Now I knew what I could do. I could rip their heads from their shoulders and string up their bodies by their entrails for a makeshift punching bag. I could puncture their heads with the tip of my sword and down their cranial fluids in shot glasses. But I was feeling generous with these two idiots.
"Now gentleman, I came here to enjoy the atmosphere of this fine establishment. So let's all just sit down and...have a drink." Here I grinned maliciously with my head bowed slightly and with my hands raised out. A welcoming gesture not befitting their display of open hostility.
"Whoo party!" Apparently someone had hit the shot glass a little early. "That's the spirit!" I turned to the patrons and opened my arms, "Now I know that everyone thinks I am angry or waiting to bring down the wrath of God or some such rubbish, but I am not angry! No, I am in the mood for a drink! And judging by how many are here I am not the only one. So I wish for everyone to order another round on me."
"Hey man I'll take you up on that!" Gradually everyone murmured their approval and I walked to the bar and ordered a bottle of vodka. Nothing beats that for getting rid of memories, but even 200 proof can't get rid of everything.
"Jack you have to keep taking your medication or you'll only get worse!"
"Diane I've been off the meds for a week and I'm fine. I don't need it to live day to day."
"You do need it Jack. You need it to be a good father to your children."
"I am a good father. I don't need the medication. It seems that the only one who can't see that is you."
"You need to think of what this is doing to the children! To us!"
"I do think about it. Leave me be!"
"Hey buddy you alright The ever dutiful voice of the bartender snapped me from the memories. I pulled out a couple hundred and slapped it on the bar. "A hundred should cover the drinks and the vodka, the rest is for the good service."
The bartender smiled and you could see him restraining himself from licking his lips. "Well that's real generous of you sir. Come back anytime." I smiled in turn. "I'll be here."
I waved to the bartender and walked back towards the entrance, where the person I had disabled was being loaded onto a stretcher. If nothing else dislocating his jaw should help him to watch what he says. I smirked at the thought, but kept my laughter to myself so I could leave the bar in peace.
Once outside I breathed deeply and continued my stroll through the heart of Jump City hoping that I had seen the past for the last time tonight, but memories don't always stop when you want them to.
The rain was coming down hard as the family drove along route 2 in North Dakota. And of course even with the storm dad was driving like Jeff Gordon around the curves. Mom was not pleased by this.
"Jack slow down! You know you shouldn't go so fast in the rain!" Dad took it all in stride of course. "Don't worry about it Diane the tires are meant for this. Besides Adrian and Malachi seem to like it." Of course we were on dad's side. "Whoo! Drifting! Drifting!" Mom stopped her complaints, but her expression still yelled 'I don't like this one bit!'
A blaring horn...Screaming tires...shattering glass...a scream.
I awoke groggy to find the spacious back of the car reduced to nothing more than a pair of middle school lockers. I groaned as a pounding headache found a home in my forehead and moved my hand to rub it, only to find a piece of glass lodged dead center. It wasn't painful getting it out, but I couldn't help a shudder at the sucking sound which emitted as I removed the offending object from me and threw it to my left.
I crawled over to my brother and looked him over for injury, finding to my infinite relief that he only had some bruises from hitting the back of the seat in front of him. It was at that point I caught wind of a noxious smell, like when we were behind a bu-. Oh no.
"Bro wake up! There's a gas leak and we don't have a lot of time before the car goes up in flames!" A voice I didn't know echoed in the car like a bomb in a school gym, "Mr. Rucker I show that your vehicle has been in a crash are you alright?" My voice carried a lot of fear when I answered "Hello?" "Yes, who is this?" "This is Malachi Rucker. The vehicle is disabled and maybe leaking gas." I pressed through the gap in between the front seats that had miraculously been spared and found that my parents were both unconscious with their heads through the windshield and unmoving. "My mom and dad aren't moving and the car is leaking gas!" My voice rose in panic and I tried to shake my parents awake while the voice spoke in an eerily calm tone given the circumstances. "Alright, what I need you to do is get out of the car and as far away as possible from the source of the gas leak." "But what about my parents!" "Please remain calm sir we will be there as soon as we can. In the meantime you need to get away from the car."
I knew our lives depending on acting quickly so I unbuckled my brother and dragged him as best as I could to the left back door of the car. I tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge so I resorted to taking off my coat and laying it over the jagged edge of what used to be the window. I set my brother down on the seat and crawled head first out the window.
"Ah!" I knew I would have a nice size bump from that landing. Leaning on the car for support I pulled my brother out the window and then dragged him a good thirty feet before I let him flop to the ground and I took a moment to catch my breath. "Adrian?" Soft as the mewling of a kitten my brother's voice came to me. "Yeah, bro I'm here." "Where are mom and dad?"
"BOOM!" His question was answered as the fuel in the wrecked semi ignited and both vehicles went up in flames. My face was set in stone as I delivered my answer, "Heaven Malachi. They're in Heaven now."
I watched, both angered and mesmerized by the flames. Watching my life burn in a steel husk. Feeling myself burn until there was nothing but ashes. Nothing but ashes.
"Ahhh!" A piercing scream rent the air and I picked up my pace. If anyone one is striking terror into the hearts of Jump City it should be me. What I found was disappointing. One grisly looking guy pinning a leggy brunette to the wall with his left arm and a knife in his right hand. The chick was a consolation, but the guy looked like such a push over!
"Come on baby, I can show you a good time if you just relax." Here eyes widened in fear and if it had been me in this scuzbags position I would have relished this, but I wasn't and frankly this just grossed me out.
"Hey scruffy!" His head whipped around to face me and he snorted in contempt. "What the hell are you supposed to be?" I chuckled lightly. "It's funny you should put it that way." My body was replaced by flaming bones as I stepped forward. "I just came from there. Excellent place for watching damned souls writhing in agony." I continued to step forward and saw what I love to see in all my victims faces...fear.
"Hey man! Don't come any closer!" He pulled her against him and placed the blade across her throat. I paused and lifted up my finger. He only stared and gripped his victim tighter. I shot a thin stream of hell Fire (2) at his face and the reaction was just what I wanted. "Ahhhh!" His victim forgotten he swatted at his face trying to put out the flames while the young lady just stared in horror at the site of his face melting under the intense heat.
"Here let me get that for ya!" I pulled my sword from the sheath on my back and lopped off his head in one swift motion. "Ahhh! Ahhhh! Ahhhhh!" The young lady started screaming her head off.
"Shut up!" The tip of my sword was at her jugular before she could blink. Now she was quiet, no doubt wondering if she had just exchanged one killer for another.
I growled softly as I tilted my head to the right. Should I? I turned it over in my mind. Her heart was no doubt juicy. Young and tender.
No! I dropped my sword. No. I can't. She...so much like...her. My flesh reappeared and I spoke in a whisper. "Get out of here." The young lady still in shock stuttered out her misunderstanding. "I...I..."
"Get out of here!" Finally getting the message she scrambled out of the alley and to what constituted home in some fashion. As the dead silence once again surrounded me I couldn't help, but be reminded of a familiar song. "Fortune fame, mirror vain, gone insane, but the memory remains."
Hopefully that is enough to satisfy those of you who are still interested in this story. More blood is to be shed don't you worry! Those who crave death will be satisfied.
Til then.
The first note was an allusion to Dr. McCoy for all you trekkies out there. The second was the actual name of the flames Vengeance wielded. Just to make sure no one sues me. :P