Chapter Seven: Madness Brewing

Slade PoV

When Raven leaves, I go directly to my laboratory.

They look so similar, it doesn't make sense. Their hair, their skin, their face type, even their powers. Was this, perhaps, her child? It couldn't be; they just met tonight. Although Raven did act strange after Azula had entered the room. But Azula didn't respond like she knew her.

I may not have the power to sense emotions, like they do, but I felt something when they shook hands. The air felt different; heavier, even.

I knew what she came here to do. I know who she works for; the very mob I work against. Still, why did she care so much about not killing me in front of Azula? Ravens reputation is ruthless, and what she did was caring.

Somewhere in my walk in freezer full of samples, I have Ravens blood stored in a small vial. And more recently, I have a vial of Azulas' blood which I collected right after the accident.

I collect them both from the freezer and place single drops of both onto test strips, and then into a machine that processes the blood. It will take about a day to get full results with a second test done to assure accuracy.

Now, while the machine reads each DNA sample, I have to may take awhile.

I never really forgot Raven; it was hard not to think about her. I had slowly fallen for her, as stupid as that sounds to me. Seeing her yesterday was like poison; It stung bitterly and I utilized every ounce of my strength to hold myself together. She was mine, once, a long time ago. I should never have infused her with the toxin, that was my first of many mistakes. But I still had hopes that one day we could at least talk normally to each other. There would be no animosity, no grief, no surly or disdain. I longed for days I couldn't have, of course. And I knew they were impossible to hope and dream for, but I did anyways.

I love the untouchable, deadly Raven.

Azula PoV

Right after Raven left, Slade acted unusual. He said nothing of my return, and sped out of the room, leaving me very questioned behind.

On the bright side, I had a good time with Drake. I even got his number, though, I wasn't able to give him mine; I didn't have one. And I wasn't about to give Slades house number to a partial stranger. Still, I am overjoyed with the turn out.

I push aside my confusion and stupidity and go to my room. Right after a quick shower, I lay on my bed. I'm really exhausted but I can't seem to relax, or fall under sleeps spell.

Something was wrong about Ravens visit. I'm missing something, my stomach is knotted and I can't shake the sense of paranoia.

If Slade said Raven never came back, then why would she be back today? And why would she leave so suddenly after I arrived…?

I really hate mysteries…

Or maybe it's not meant to be a mystery. Maybe she just had to go. I'm making something stupid out of nothing again.

I sit up and reach for the torn napkin in my pocket. Ten digits are splayed acrossed it with dashes between. The name just above it reads Drake. I can't stop myself from smiling, a nervous knot forms in my stomach.

Nevertheless, I should keep him a secret. Wouldn't want Slade to think I'm fraternizing with the commoners. He would probably do extensive research that would scare the shit out of Drake.

It wasn't too long ago that I was head over heals in love with Jason. He was my best friend, through and through. But when he rejected me, I gave up on him and accepted just his friendship. Though it was hard to come to that conclusion, and sometimes I still feel for him, but it is all a distant dream now.

It's all a dream. The group home was a hoax; Jason is an illusion; the murder of Mrs. Kirkov was a joke; the blood writing on the wall was a hallucination.

But it's not, in all the same.

I set the napkin down in a drawer of my desk and lay back down on the bed. A sudden feeling of dread filled my stomach. I had almost forgotten about the writing.

"Where is she?" I ask myself quietly, repeating the words on the wall.

Raven PoV

Today was horrid. It made my heart ache and my blood boil with rage. My child-my baby-was with that monster? It was her father, after all. But she didn't know that, and I had hopes that he didn't either. The world fell to Hell after I found out I was pregnant with her. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't just kill her with an abortion. It was an inocent life. In my line of work I tried to go for the guilty ones. I had tried so hard when I was with the Titans to fit in and become "good".

That is near imposible for a half Demon creature to fathom.

"Good" isn't even relatively close to me.

I had good friends in the Titans. Now they aren't more than my enemy. Well except Robin. I had infused him with a piece of my soul that had made him part Demon, and gave him a split personality. His split personality was what I called upon when I needed help; He was my Renegade. Sure, he could pass any psych test that they gave him. But he still knew he was different. He never remembers anything about me or our adventures together.

Beast Boy left the Titans first, four years after I left. Starfire was next, six months after Beast Boy. Robin and Cyborg stayed for five years after I left, but Robin soon after moved to Bludhaven and became Nightwing. Cyborg still lives at the Tower with the next wave of superheros. I've heared they are a good team, and that they are a great family.

Looking back on my past now, it just doesn't seem right. How I lived for so long. Why I didn't choose Slade sooner. Then again, I didn't choose him at all. The toxin did. And with that in mind, the toxin only changed how my outlook on life was, really.

God, I miss Slade. I never thought I would say that. Not after our mistake. No, Azula wasn't a mistake; she was a mixed blessing. If Demons even got blessings bestowed upon them. Which I doubted.

I had messed up by not staying with Slade and revealing to him our child. But it's all past now. And all I can hope to do is change the future.

For better or for worse.

Unknown PoV

A chilling voice spoke from the darkness, breaking the silence between the three figures as they watched a group of people from afar move the small boxes from a metal container in a shipping yard to a semi truck.

"We could strike now, and save the time we don't have, Greed," the voice hissed.

"In due time you will learn that in order to get what you want, time is crucial, Wrath. And the war they want is what we want, too," the second voice was even and sure. A third voice spoke.

"So let them tear each other to pieces then wave our incentive in their face; like easy blood to a starving vampire. But will Pride try to stop us?"

"She will come, too, Lust, she will be faced with reason; she will think it is the only way to save her seed and it is the only way we can assure that she remains at bay."