AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Sorry this took a bit longer, but it was a lot of work, and got me doing some research. Hope it was worth it!
Raven lay on her bed in a huddle, the drawn curtains keeping the mid-morning sun at bay. Usually up between four and six, Raven hadn't stepped foot outside her bed yet, all motivation having left her somewhere during her sleepless night. Her mind was torn between a mix of self-loathing and fear that she would never be able to control this new blood lust. Fear of what she might be becoming.
The Halfling had never been one for moping. She meditated, or read, until she found the answer to her problems, but even these things seemed far too out of reach. She knew her mind in its current state wouldn't be able to concentrate enough for either activity.
Her communicator started ringing, the obnoxiously cheery tone almost deafening her after the silence. Raven considered letting it ring out before she realised it wouldn't be one of her team mates. If they wanted to talk to her, they only had to walk down the corridor to her door. Slipping a grey arm free of the covers she grabbed the device off her bedside table and flipped it open, answering the call. A quick look at the screens on the device showed her the person on the other end didn't have video feed and also gave her an idea on who it was.
"Raven?" There was a moment of silence before Jinx realised she wasn't going to get a reply and continued anyway. "I heard about Adonis. Want to talk about it?"
"The news are calling it an accidental injury caused by no specific titan," Raven muttered at the device.
"I know your handy work when I see it. There was some footage of him arriving at the hospital. There are only two of you on that team who can peel back metal like a skin on a banana and somehow I don't think it was Starfire."
There was another pause before Raven told her girlfriend, "I don't want to talk about it."
"Are you sat around moping?" The thief's forceful tone of voice demanded an answer and Raven found herself shrugging, even knowing Jinx couldn't see.
"No."
"Yes you are."
"Technically I'm laying down," Raven said, a fleeting smile crossing her lips.
"Well if you're not too busy with your self-pity party, how about meeting up. Remember that pool in the desert we went to? Meet me there in an hour?"
"How are you going to get there in an hour?" Raven asked, remembering the trip taking at least two.
"I'm already out. You gonna come meet me or not?"
Raven thought about turning her down, scared about what Jinx's reaction might be should she find out what had happened with Adonis, but she had always felt strongly about laziness – perhaps because of the monks teachings – and she wasn't doing anything productive. "Alright, I'll meet you."
"Careful Rae, you don't wanna go overboard on the enthusiasm," Jinx commented sarcastically. "Don't forget your swim suit. See you soon."
Raven flipped her communicator shut but didn't move off the bed, already regretting her decision. Not only did she need to dig out something to wear, she needed to let a member of the team know she was heading out and deal with her nest of hair, a testimony to her restless night.
She threw the covers off her and sat up, staring blankly at the room a moment before getting up and going through her wardrobe, noting numbly that she really needed to start shopping seriously for casual clothes. The odd trip with Starfire just wasn't cutting it.
The empath had worn her black swim-suit last time she'd gone out with Jinx, but hadn't a clue where that had gotten to since, half suspecting she'd left it at the thief's base. She had to put up with a black bikini Starfire had brought for her over a year ago for the one of the team's occasional beach visit – something she'd been yet to wear. She slipped it on before layering it with a pair of black jean shorts and a dark grey tank top, her customary blue boots completing the outfit, though Raven did half wish she'd picked up a pair in black last time she'd gone to the mall.
She grabbed her communicator and pocketed it before tackling her hair. Once ready she wandered the tower, trying to find anyone but Robin. Raven was just about as unhappy with him as he was with her after yesterday. She ended up bumping into Beast Boy, the changeling setting up some sort of prank in the hallway.
"Really? After what happened with Starfire last time?" Raven deadpanned, making her presence known.
Beast Boy jumped slightly before grinning at the empath. "Don't worry Rae, it's not motor oil." He did a double take, registering her lack of uniform. "Going out?"
"For a few hours. I've not my communicator. If Robin asked I'm finding a quiet place to meditate."
"And if he doesn't?"
Raven shrugged. "I'm meeting Jinx."
He grinned at her. "Have fun. And when you get back I'd advise against using this corridor, just in case."
The empath shook her head at him before becoming engulfed in dark energy and disappearing.
(….)
Jinx floated across the surface of the cold water on her back, enjoying the heat of the sun on her face, but not much else. The two women had been there for almost an hour, and Raven hadn't done any more than remove her boots and sit with her legs in the water. The thief hadn't thought anything of it at first, knowing her girlfriend wasn't the most confident of swimmers, but the lack of conversation was beginning to both bore and concern Jinx.
With one strong kick she glided across the water towards Raven, rolling and anchoring herself onto the woman's lap with her arms. She had to crane her neck back to see Raven's face, but that didn't bother her.
"You can talk to me, you know."
At first Jinx thought the empath hadn't heard her, the woman's gaze fixed on the water, but slowly Raven's hand found the thief's head as she ran her fingers through pink hair. It brought a small smile to Jinx's face.
She grabbed Raven's wrist and pulled it down until she could kiss the palm of her hand. "Talking helps."
The silence continued and Jinx was about to give up when the other woman whispered, "I wanted to kill them."
"Who's them?" Jinx asked softly, frowning.
"… everyone. Adonis. My team."
The thief suddenly felt very cold as fear rushed through her, but she pushed the feeling aside. "Rae, what happened with Adonis?"
Purple eyes found pink, and Jinx could almost see the torn emotions battling for dominance in her head. "I wanted to kill my friends, Jinx. I'm becoming a… monster."
Jinx scowled. "I don't believe that. You wanted to kill them – so what? I want to kill Gizmo daily. The important thing is, did you do it?"
Raven frowned. "I almost-"
"I'm looking for a yes or no answer here."
"No, I didn't."
"Exactly. A monster would have. Raven what happened? Did your control slip?"
"No. That's the worst bit," Raven's voice had declined back into a whisper. "It was all me. I accidently cut his arm and the blood… I couldn't help it. I tore into his chest. Cyborg had to physically restrain m and move me away from the area."
Jinx didn't know what to say. She was all for pep talks, but responding to this… a part of her wanted to run in the opposite direction. To her relief she didn't have to find anything to say as Raven continued.
"Killing Damien… I think it triggered something, and I don't know how to control it. What if I can't control it?"
"Nothing like this has ever happened before?" Jinx asked, watching as her girlfriend visibly squirmed. "I'm not comfortable talking to you about this."
Jinx tried her best not to look offended, and failed. "Are you going to talk to your teammates about it?" The empaths lack of response was all the answer she needed. "I'm willing to listen, even if I don't have the answers for you – and I probably don't. You can't keep something like this bottled up."
"You didn't even know demons existed until I told you. And kind of proved it."
The thief shrugged before blushing slightly. "Actually I've been doing some reading since your freak out in the alley way. So sure, you might be the first demon I've met, but I'm not exactly clueless. I mean, I had to know what I was dating, right?"
Raven hesitated before admitting, "I've experienced… similar things before. The urge to chase opponents down when they run or feel fear, but it's nothing more than a small twinge in the back of my mind. Something easily ignored. This… blood lust, it completely took over everything. My thoughts, my body. Every part of me wanted to kill him, and anyone else that was nearby. It was like…" It was Raven's turn to blush as she muttered, "It was like experiencing sexual lust, just more prominent. And violent."
"Maybe it was such a problem because it caught you off guard. I'm gonna go ahead and assume this whole blood lust thing comes hand in hand with being a demon. I mean, everything I've read so far indicates that they get a real kick out of death and destruction. Do others let it dictate when or how they kill?"
Raven scowled. "They enjoy it. I doubt they think twice about it."
"So you're telling me your dad would let a bit of blood make him go bezerk?"
He empath truly thought about it then. She'd only had one personal experience with her father's handy work, during which her team had gotten beaten up, badly, but Trigon had never finished the job. He'd kept toying with them, even ignoring them to a point. "No, but Trigon is a Demon Lord. Not only does he had about a thousand years' experience under his belt, so to speak, he's among the most powerful demons out there."
"And you're his blood. You defeated him. You're just as powerful, if not more so, even if you don't realise it."
Raven really didn't like the idea of her being a stronger demon than her father, the destroyer of worlds. "Is this supposed to be a pep-talk?"
"It would be, if you weren't do damn afraid of yourself," Jinx muttered.
"How can I not be afraid, when I apparently have the potential to be more of a threat than Trigon the Terrible?"
"You told me before the first time we had sex that fear was one of your emotions that could cause you to momentarily lose control of your powers. How can you expect to control anything if you don't start accepting who you are? Coming to terms with your demonic half – understanding and learning to control it – won't automatically make you a bad person. Sure, you have the potential to be the sexiest demon overlord in the universe but you also have the potential to be a totally badass superhero or, well with your smarts, just about anything."
"Jinx, it's not just as easy as that. Accepting my demon side means giving her more control, and that's the last thing she needs."
"First off, stop talking about yourself as though you're two people. It's not healthy. Secondly, no one's expecting you to be a saint, Rae. Hell, knowing what I do, people would probably just be impressed that you're a good guy at all."
"You don't expect me to be a saint," Raven muttered.
"Let me guess? Bird brain? He's a dick, ignore him."
"The only reason I'm still on the team is because the others stood up for me. Jinx, they're my friends – my family. I can't let them down. They expect me to deal with this, just like everything else."
"Sounds to me like you've been trying to live up to too many expectations. You need to be yourself, not what everyone else wants you to be."
Raven was quiet a moment before she shook her head. "Since birth I've been told to be something else. Even if I wanted to be able to accept who I was born to be, I don't know what that person would be anymore. I am two people; my father's daughter, the gem, and my mother's daughter. There is no in between."
"Then make one," Jinx shrugged.
"And what if you don't like that person?" Raven asked quietly.
"What wouldn't there be to like?" The thief replied. "I've dealt with you twice now in full demon mode and sure it was a little scary, but it wasn't exactly unpleasant."
"I don't think you know what you're asking me to do. If my demonic half is stronger, a merge could completely change who I am."
Jinx frowned. "Okay… you lost me now. A what?"
The titan scowled, then sighed heavily, telling Jinx, "After I was born the monks of Azarath put a ward within my mind that supressed my demonic qualities – hindered their growth and kept it separate from my conscious mind. As far as I knew, or anyone else knew for that matter, I wasn't going to make it past my eighteenth name day. No one was. This year I turn twenty-two. It's… sort of a milestone for demons. They gain access to the full extent of their powers, sometimes gain a new one. Not only will I be able to use the power I got when I defeated my father, I will have the opportunity to remove the wards the monks set in place. The only problem is, I don't know what I'll become."
"Better than being miserable for the rest of your life. Raven, you need to live for yourself, not for others. Screw everyone else."
"You said yourself I could be stronger than Trigon. Do you really want something like that walking around America?"
"I bet if you did this merge thing, you'd be able to control your blood lust. Easy." Jinx grinned.
Raven scowled at her girlfriend, "Well I've already decided against it."
Jinx shrugged before asking, "So what are you gonna do about this 'blood lust' then? If it happens again."
"I… don't know."
"Well, moping around won't help."
"Yes, I know that thanks. Meditation I think. It's how I control everything else."
"What if this isn't linked to your emotions like everything else?" Jinx asked.
"I don't know." Raven was finding herself getting more and more frustrated.
"Isn't there anyone you could talk to? A demon pal? Family?"
"And show weakness?" Raven laughed bitterly. "I don't think so."
"So? In demon years you're young. Very young. What's the harm in asking for help?"
"Because I can't afford to Jinx. Earth and this dimension is mine. The only reason I haven't been challenged yet is because I defeated Trigon. I'm seen as someone not to be taken lightly, despite my age and lack of experience. If it gets out that I haven't got my shit together I could be challenged and Earth can't afford a full out war. Even if I won the casualties would include full cities."
Jinx was still stuck on the first bit. "You own Earth?"
"Demon rules. I beat my father who had taken position as ruler. I got his land, his titles, his powers." The empath muttered awkwardly.
"Well better the devil you know. Still not quiet believing that though." Jinx stared at her oddly before asking, "So definitely no one you can talk to?"
"Maybe one, but it's a very delicate maybe. She's nowhere even close to being a threat even if she wanted to be, but… I don't trust her," Raven frowned. "She'd be ideal. She only answers to herself and me because she's an outcast, and she's been living peacefully in the city for four years now."
"So then, what's the problem?"
"The problem is she's still a demon."
Jinx frowned before asking, "Well what about a good threat? You said she answers to you. What does she fear the most?"
The very thing Raven had been threatening her with for the past four years. It had worked so far, hadn't it? She fished her communicator out of her pocket and went to contacts, finding the one she was looking for and hitting dial. Both women listened to the dial tone until it connected and a girl's voice came though.
"Damn it I'm at school. Whatever it is, I didn't do it, okay?"
"I'm not calling to interrogate you. We need to talk. Are you free after school?"
"Will it take long?" Cara asked.
"I don't know."
"I'll tell the parents I'm going to a friend's house. Where we meeting?"
Somewhere without people, Raven had decided. "The old theme park. It's only four blocks away from the school."
They could hear her sigh. "See you at four then."
The girl hung up and Jinx quickly asked, "Demon? School?" It clicked in her head and before Raven could reply her look of confusion morphed into one of disproval as she accused, "That was Cara! That girl you spoke to about the Shadow!"
"You told me to find someone to talk to about it. She's that somebody."
"Yeah but, I didn't mean her."
"This? Again? I told you last time, I only deal with her to keep her under control and make sure she's not killing people. I've given you no reason to be jealous. If I can talk calmly to Jason, you can certainly stop worrying about Cara."
"I'm coming with you," Jinx decided after a moment of silence.
"Jinx, no. Not only will I be threatening her and demonstrating my threat is rea, I will be admitting a weakness to her. I don't want to give her two."
"So I'm weak now?" Jinx asked, moving back in the water so she was no longer touching the empath.
"No! I care about you, which means she could use you against me, like Damien did."
"Either I come with you or you don't go."
"Do you really want to be like that? Control if a form of abuse you know."
Jinx shrugged. "I don't like her."
"Ignoring the fact you've never met her, neither do I. What's your point?"
"I don't have to meet her. It's called gut instinct."
Raven sighed. "She won't like you being there."
"Poor her. She'll get over it."
"She might refuse to talk to me."
"I keep your secret, don't I? I'll keep hers. So long as she doesn't do anything I don't like," Jinx muttered.
"Jinx-"
"I know where you're meeting her," the thief cut her short. "Go without me and I'll just turn up anyway."
"Fine! Have it your way."
Jinx smiled. "I always do."
(….)
Raven was still wearing the shorts and tank top she'd put on to meet Jinx. They had popped back to the H.I.V.E base so Jinx could grab a hoody. They thief was wearing the hood up to hide her hair so she wouldn't be instantly recognisable as they waited for Cara to show up.
"A few rules. Don't talk, don't second guess me just… don't do anything, alright? The one thing she's scared of is going back to hell. That's the threat I'm going to use. I have a plan though I'm not one hundred percent sure it'll work."
"Fine, I won't say anything," Jinx muttered. "Why are we meeting here anyway?"
"Because we wont have to worry about there being an audience, which is very important. Cara is very quiet about what she is. I also don't want to draw too much attention."
Raven spotted a school girl walking towards them and motioned for Jinx to stay quiet. The thief, for once, did as she was told as she studied the girl with hard eyes. She remembered Raven mentioning the body the demon was using to be sixteen years of age. Her blonde hair and hazel eyes were nothing extraordinary, and Jinx felt rather underwhelmed.
"You need to stop bringing people," Cara muttered. "Who in hell is this?"
"Shall we step off the street first? There's an old fast food building in the park that remains intact and would give us plenty of privacy."
Both Jinx and Cara were itching to say something, but the blonde nodded before quickly climbing over the fence, Jinx following while Raven walked straight through it as though it wasn't there, assisted by a portal. Raven led them to the building, the door hanging from its frame and plants sprouting between the floor tiles inside.
"So who is she?"
"My mate. She was with me at the time. I had no other reason for bringing her."
"Your 'mate' as in school ground talk or?" When Raven didn't reply Cara's eyes widened in shock. "You chose a human? There is something wrong with you. I suppose you're more like your father than I thought. She safe to talk in front of?"
"I wouldn't have brought her otherwise."
Looking at Jinx, Cara threatened, "If I find out you've been talking, that pretty little face of yours won't be staying that way."
Jinx aggressively stepped forward, not one to take a threat, and Raven tried to warn her off. It didn't work. "Come closer and say that again, bitch."
The demon smiled and spoke to Raven. "I can see why you entertain her. Alright, what do you want? I've been perfectly good, minding my own business. I even led you to the church of blood. Congratulations, by the way."
"I told you the truth – I just have a few questions." Raven hesitated.
She needed her demon for her plan, and while it had seemed a good idea at the time, she was quickly losing her confidence. The titan could feel both Jinx and Cara watching her, waiting. Jinx was right though; she needed to learn control. Raven took a deep breath before dropping her mental shields, two extra eyes blinking open, crimson red. She had managed with Brother Blood – she could handle this.
She felt Jinx's alarm and Cara's weariness. A black tendril extended out from Raven's body with no warning, piercing Cara through the centre of her chest. Raven felt for the soul there and grabbed it, pulling it from the school girl's body with a sharp tug.
For a moment it just appeared as a dark haze before it solidified, becoming a humanoid figure with midnight dark skin and blood red eyes. Jinx watched in awe and horror as the body known as Cara collapsed to the floor.
The demon studied herself and the tendril of dark energy wrapped around her torso, her long tail swishing back and forth anxiously. "My body…"
"Will vanish as soon as I release you, Ardat-lile. You know, I'm slightly disappointed I've had to find out your name this way."
The crimson eyes met four. "You've done plenty of research then to know my name by appearance. Tell me, how are you doing this?"
Raven didn't answer. She wasn't entirely sure herself and hadn't even expected it to work. The Halfling had come up with the idea from her experience with the Shadow. Jinx continued to stare, and as her brain began to process what she was seeing, she found room for one more detail. The demon Raven had pulled from Cara's body was very naked.
"The how doesn't matter," Raven eventually answered. "The why? To prove a point."
The thief noticed the dark energy gathering around the two demons seconds before they vanished and she found herself moving to stop them too late.
"God damn it!" She paced the room angrily before coming across the seemingly lifeless body of Cara, the motion almost automatic as she swung her leg back and kicked the body hard on the chest. She looked at the body before kicking it again for good measure. "Fuck!"
(….)
Raven deposited them in a barren wasteland of rock, the air around them stagnant and unmoving.
"Purgatory? Really?"
Raven released the demoness, her body staying formed in this realm. "It's just in case you ever doubted my ability to carry out my threat. That, and we needed somewhere to talk. Somewhere we wouldn't be disturbed."
Ghostly shades moved around them but paid no attention, spirits of the dead that were damned to have to wander aimlessly for the rest of eternity, but not damned enough to experience the pains of hell. Ardat-lile watched them a moment with faked interest as she ran a hand over her bald head in a clear sign of distress.
Eventually she asked, "So what are we talking about?"
"Blood lust. You seem to have managed quite happily for four years."
The demon grinned. "You don't know how to control it? Well, you are still a baby, I suppose. Why not ask daddy?"
Raven scowled at her. "You know why."
"So does that mean you class us as friends?"
"Not even. You keep to yourself, and you're a lot weaker than I am. You talk, and it'll be the last thing you do."
Ardat-lile studied the empath for a moment before saying, "Find me an older body and I'll help you."
"What?"
"I tire of being a child. It's no fun."
"I know what you do, Ardat. You reall think I'd help you ruin lives any quicker?"
The demon's tail perked up, moving like a cat's as it stalked it prey. "It's not like I kill the men, Raven."
"I gave you rules."
"An older body Raven, that's all I'm asking for. That's not much now, is it?"
Four red eyes glared at her. "And how do you expect me to find you this?"
"You're the one with the rules. I'd just take the first one I fancied, however I know you wouldn't appreciate that. Why you sympathise so much with these creatures is beyond me." Ardat-lile sighed, before suggesting, "Search the hospitals. Find me another patient like Cara, if that's what you'd prefer."
"Do it yourself," Raven replied curtly.
"Between school and homework? I don't have the time Raven. Either that, or give me my own form. Permanently."
The empath laughed. "Even if I could go that, I have less reason for it than I do for letting you change hosts."
"You're the one that came asking for help. I like you, but did you really think I'd do it for free?" The demon pouted slightly before offering, "How about I sweeten the deal?"
"Sweeten it for who?"
"For both of us. You chose a body for me, one you like, and take me for your mate and consort." She stalked closer to Raven, hips swaying to a point of exaggeration the empath almost found funny. "It wouldn't have to be exclusive. We can both still have our fun. Not only will I teach you about your blood lust and how to control it, I'll help you with all the changes that are bound to happen on your name day. You'll get the experience of a demon who's seen over seven thousand years and I get the protection and security of a more powerful demon." She came to a stop inches away from Raven. "I'd even let you keep your human as a pet."
Raven felt Ardat's tail smooth up the back of her leg, the flesh feeling like something between supple leather and scales. She was too close to Raven for comfort but she refused to back down. Instead, looking straight into the demon's eyes where they hovered inches away from her own, she asked, "I thought you were interested in males?"
"Interested in tormenting males. Human or demon, they are simply toys to be played with," She slid a hand up Raven's arm, bringing it to rest on her shoulder. "They're fickle, wrathful creatures. Easy to manipulate, easy to break. But I'm sure you know that."
"I'll find you an older body. After you tell me how to control my blood lust. Nothing more." Raven spoke softly but firmly. "If you want protection and security you can pledge your loyalty to me another time."
She stepped back, her expression sour. "You mean become a familiar?"
"I'm one of the good guys remember? I won't be sending you out on errands every two minutes, but this is not part of our current deal. I'll find you an older body, and once located I'll point you in the right direction, but before I do that you help me with my blood lust."
"I don't want a body that's too old."
"I'll do what I can," Raven scowled. "Now, how do I control it?"
Ardat-lile shrugged, her stance visibly relaxing. "There are two ways. You can sate it, like any other hunger, and give it what it wants. It'll give you periods of time where it subdues. A could of weeks, maybe. It's through this that most demons learn to control it. Ten, twenty decades and you wouldn't even notice it anymore. Of course, you have your unnatural sympathise. The second way is to find something else to feed off, if not death. For example, I feed off the despair of a man who has lost everything. I feed off their ruin. I warn you now though Raven, even despite my natural instincts towards causing despair, it took me several centuries until it was enough to sate me alone."
"I don't have centuries."
"Technically speaking, you might."
"If I am seen as a threat, the Justice League will do all in their power to remove me from earth. That will leave it open to be claimed and trust me, others won't be as easy going as me," the empath warned her.
"Then you better be a fast learner," the demon shrugged. "I can't help you any more I'm afraid. It is something you have to learn yourself." Raven didn't respond and Ardat-lile sighed. "Do you have any ideas on what you'd prefer to feed off instead?"
"I don't want to feed of anything."
"You either need to accept it and control it, or let it control you like a lesser demon." Her contempt was clear in her voice.
Raven tried to think. She had always had a natural habit for destruction but that in Raven's mind was no more acceptable than killing. She had her empathy. Could she learn to feed off emotions? Her final option otherwise was Pride. She had a strong affliction with the sin after all. She voiced this to Ardat-lile.
"Empathy is far too broad. Perhaps, one day, with centuries of practice you could feed off any or all emotions but if you want to learn fast you need something singular to focus on. I think Pride would be acceptable."
"Great, but how do I make that link with my blood lust?" Raven frowned.
"Association. Control the collected energy. You need to collect it and utilise it into something you can use. Are you certain you don't wish my companionship? You would benefit greatly."
"Positive."
"Then I really can't help you anymore," the demon shrugged. "I have been over generous with what I have given you. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to return to Cara."
Raven didn't move at first. She hadn't gotten the answers she'd wanted and didn't understand where to go from there. After a moment she motioned for Ardat-lile to step closer. Raven grabbed her shoulder and her soul-self surrounded them. When it cleared they were back at the abandoned theme park in the old fast food joint. Jinx, who had been impatiently pacing back and forth, stopped upon spotting the two demons. She didn't look happy but Raven ignored her, leading Ardat-lile over to the school girl's body still on the floor.
The empath pushed her back into the body the same way she'd removed her and stepped back, waiting. Jinx jumped when Cara took a gasping breath, the blonde sitting up with a scowl on her face. One hand was clutching her side, which made Jinx smile, though other than a suspicious glace at the thief, nothing was said.
"You kept me out of this body too long."
"If it had been too long, you wouldn't be possessing it."
"Remember our deal," the girl frowned as she got to her feet and brushed herself down. "But just because I like you, my offer will remain open should you come to realise it really would benefit you."
She turned and left, Raven waiting until the older demon was out of sight before she fought to push her demon self back down, her eyes closing as her face scrunched into a scowl. Jinx knew enough not to disturb her and waited impatiently for the emapth to finish.
She opened her mouth the instant Raven's eyes opened and she saw purple. "What the hell was that?! You don't just disappear with a naked woman! And what fucking deal? You never told me you were just gonna up and leave with her!"
Raven scowled. "First of all, I didn't know she was Ardat-lile, secondly where exactly did you expect clothes to come from? As for where we went – purgatory. I needed her to understand my threat to remove her from the dimension was real."
Jinx didn't look pacified, her arms crossed and face sour. "And your little deal?"
Raven sighed, losing her patience. "For her help, I find her a different body." The thief just continued to stare silently at her. "Jinx, you've got nothing to be jealous about."
"Umm, you saw her naked and she has big tits. Yes I do."
Raven rolled her eyes. "You saw her too."
"I'm not the one who disappeared with her."
"You wanted me to talk to someone and I did."
The hex caster scowled before muttering, "Did it help?"
"Yes and no," Raven shrugged, leading Jinx out of the building.
"Which means?"
"I need to feed, it isn't just going to go away, but I can chose what I feed off, with practice. Centuries of practice."
"Well shit." Jinx eventually commented. "What are you going to do then?"
"I don't know, but I can't just start killing people."
"Pick off a few criminals in secret every now and then. The world would thank you for it," Jinx suggested.
"You're a criminal Jinx."
The hex caster grinned. "I'm also your girlfriend. Or 'mate'. What the hell was that about?"
Raven sighed and stopped walking. "Demons chose partners – or 'mates' – based on what they can gain out of the relationship. Power, protection or reputation. As a human, you would automatically be considered my 'pet' or play thing, something that isn't considered an equal or of any consequence at all. I wanted to make it clear to Cara that's not the case."
"You mean they don't have the ability to feel affection?"
"I can't say. A few demons have a lover as well as a mate. They're not linked politically. Whether it is because they have feelings for the other demon, I can't say."
Jinx scowled. "Demons have politics? I thought they were just about pure chaos."
"They have more politics than you'd care to hear about. I don't even know half of it, just enough to get me by."
"Right. So moving on, what are you gonna tell your teammates?"
"Nothing. Not until it's sorted out."
"So Robin can kick you off the team? You said so yourself, you can't keep attacking people like you did Adonis. They need to know."
The empath scowled. "Fine. I'll talk to them. You're being surprisingly calm about all this."
Jinx grinned. "See you in action against the Shadow, and almost Cyborg, helped I think. Am I totally to terms with how badass my girlfriend is? No. But enough that I'm not going to freak out every time the topic comes up. So what happens now?"
"I go back to my team and talk to them, I suppose."
"Mind giving me a lift back to base then?" Jinx asked.
…
Raven didn't get back to Titans Tower as soon as she would have liked and the only one in the common room was Beast Boy, playing a racing game.
"Where is everyone?"
The changeling jumped, not having notice his arrival. "Damn it Rae, do you have to move so quietly?"
"We need to talk, as a team. Is everyone in the Tower?"
Beast Boy had turned his attention back onto his game. He shrugged. "Yeah, somewhere."
Raven walked straight over to the emergency call button on the wall and hit it. She heard Beast Boy curse as his game was replaced by alternating black and red screens, the sound of klaxons filling the room. It didn't take long for the rest of the team to arrive.
"Who is it?" Robin asked the instant he stepped into the common room.
"Raven," the changeling told him sourly as he threw his controller down onto the sofa.
"Raven?" Her leader looked at her.
The empath moved over to the console and shut the alarm off before motioning to the sofa. "Everyone take a seat."
"Is everything okay?" Cyborg asked as he moved to sit next to Beast Boy.
"It's about what happened with Adonis. About my… blood lust."
"You've found a way to control it?"
Raven looked at her leader who hadn't moved to take a seat. She motioned again at the sofa. "Take a seat." She refused to say any more until all four of her team mates were sat down. "I have spoken to an acquaintance of mine about what's happening. It isn't going to go away. Most demons learn to control it but apparently it takes centuries of practice. Obviously I don't have centuries, and it's not exactly something we can work on in a controlled environment. I need to get used to feeling this blood lust so I can recognise it and take steps to stopping it as soon as it happens, that means you can't take me off duty, Robin, nor can you jump in the instant someone starts bleeding." Raven purposely left out that controlling it meant she still had to feed off something. She wasn't sure how they would take that. "It also means we need to set up a failsafe. Some sort of procedure so you'll know when to step in and how to stop me should I fail to keep it under control."
"You can't use Jump City's criminals as test subjects, Raven," Robin scowled.
"I am willing to learn how to control this Robin. I have no desire to kill people, but I either need to get control or let it control me. It's not just going to go away if we ignore it."
"How do you know your acquaintance is even reliable?"
"Because she is a demon, one older than my father and that relies on my protection. She understands that the moment I'm seen as a threat she loses her safety net." At Robin's silence she said, "Perhaps the Justice League has a better understanding than you after all. I am your friend and teammate yes, but I am also a demon. I am doing everything I can to fight that part of me but I am asking for your help. If I can't control this it could lead down a path where I am as much as a threat as my Father was."
"And when the media catch on that you're butchering our opponents?"
"It's something we have to risk. I cannot ignore this. Taking me off duty is not going to make it go away."
"What about if I removed you from the team?" Starfire gasped, the two male titans also making sounds of protest. Raven ignored him. "Then it'd no longer be your problem. You can forget about it, and hope to god it doesn't come back to bite you on the ass."
"Robin, we can not abandon our friends, especially when they are asking for help!" Starfire protested loudly. "We believed in you when you were working for Slade and when you were Red X. Beast Boy, when he went through his transformation. Cyborg when he left the team. You still believed in me when I faced the decision my sister force upon me."
"And how many times have we stood by Raven now?" Robin replied calmly and the empath felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Dr Light, Malchior, Trigon, Jinx and now this?"
"Least Rae has a valid excuse for her mess ups," Beast Boy muttered.
Cyborg joined in with the changeling. "I think I'd need a little more help too if I had to fight my base instincts every day. She has a plan. That's apparently more than you have." He looked at Raven, "So what's this failsafe?"
He watched as Raven drew a knife from the folds of her cloak. With a blade as long as her forearm it was whiter in colour than silver, made from a metal none of the titans had ever seen before. "It will make me heal mortal slow." She passed it to Starfire. "You'll be the most likely to reach me in time, and most able to stop me. Make sure I don't see it coming."
Raven smiled when she accepted the blade before testing its weight and balance, studding it like only a warrior would. "This blade, I have never seen anything like it before. I do not wish to kill you though, Raven."
"I don't want you to kill me either, just incapacitate me, should it be needed."
"And how will we know when that is?" Cyborg asked.
"Simple. Just don't let me kill anyone. Ask me; if you get an answer that I'm fine, I'm fine. If I don't reply I probably need stopping."
"How do you know that blade will work?" Robin frowned. "And where did you get it from?"
"I've had it cross examined several times. We think it's a blade from an Angel, dropped when they died. I had tested it on myself a few years ago and to date it remains my only scar. It was made to stop demons."
Cyborg grinned. "Angels? Next you'll say Satan is real."
"Lucifer, luckily, is not interested in the likes of us. There are demons out there that are stronger than my father."
"Way to help a guy sleep at night," Beast Boy muttered. He flinched as the Klaxons sounded again, filling the room.
Robin dashed to the console. "The H.I.V.E." He looked at Raven a moment, obviously considering whether to bring her with them, before ordering, "Stay away from Jinx."
AN: Two things popping up from Friday 13th. Remember those artefacts Raven told Jinx she had 'aquired' over the years? Also in Friday 13th several readers mentioned they'd like to see more of Cara. Which naturally meant I had to come up with a background/fit her into the story. Ardat-lile is a demon that appeared in early Semitic-texts although its variations (Ardat-lili, Irdu and Lili) appear even earlier in Sumer Lore (5500 BC). Baring the appearance of a young woman, she would marry a man before bringing him ruin until he had nothing left. Also believed to be linked to storms, as most Sumer female demons, I took influence from this when coming up with an appearance for her.