Chapter 2: It's a deal

Jason licked his lips for the third time that night, the taste of her blood was still there, which pleased him. He walked in from the balcony and into the black paneled hallway. Jason's castle was placed on top of a cliff in Gotham forest. The village was just out of sight from the castle and his castle would only be seen at the hours between midnight.

The castle was way to big for one man, and he felt lonely. Way to lonely. Yes, he could always go out and kidnap a woman to be his, but it wouldn't be the same. Why he wanted the hunter was a question he was not sure how to answer. Why was he so attracted to the hunter? Well, that was easier to answer. She was hot. Like, extremely. If he were to just kidnap a woman to make her his he would easily get bored. But having Raven would be a challenge, and Jason Todd loved challenges.

Jason walked around in his castle for another hour, it was still a few hours until the sun went up. The vampire walked into the library of his castle, having nothing else to do. He sat down to read one of his favourite story.

While he read the fairy tale, his mind wandered to the hunter of the remnants of his heart. She was so different from other females, she was so determined, she wanted so bad to kill him. But he wasn't going to let her wish come true anytime soon. He smiled to himself, imagining Raven in a pretty open black dress on her knees in front of him. He loved the thought, having her at his mercy. Someone meant to kill his species, at the mercy and under the control of the most powerful one.

He imagined running his hands over her bare back, tracing her spine lower and lower. The soft gasps he hoped he would get. The redness in her face that he wanted to see.

But he knew it was all in his mind. She wouldn't just fall down on her knees for him, he knew that. But he couldn't help but think about her, she was like black magic, forbidden. She was a crime walking on two legs.

Jason placed the book back on the dark oak shelf. Looking out the window he saw the sun rising, he wanted to stand there and watch it, but he knew he couldn't. It would kill him after all. Looking away, he walked to his chamber. His chamber was a pretty dark place. Dark stone walls with a few lit touches along the wall. The windows had red curtains that held the sun out. His bed, king size canopy bed with thorn like poles holding red curtains up, was placed in the middle of the room on a small platform.

Jason took the few steps up, undressing himself as he walked, before laying down in the huge bed. He didn't want to admit it, but after the night he meet Raven for the first time, his bed had surprisingly felt either too big or too lonely.

Jason shrugged it off, he'd felt alone for a long time, but he was going to change it soon. The next time he would face Raven, he wouldn't let his desire come in the way. He would actually say what he wanted from her.

xXx

Raven sat, yet again, on the couch while Victor placed a bandage on her, this time it was her neck. She tried to avoid his gaze and stared right ahead instead. He didn't seem just as angry as he was a few weeks ago when she came home with a whole in her side.

"What did she do this time?" Richard asked as he entered the room with a red book in his hand. Raven could tell he was both mocking her and irritated.

"Says she was bit, but she doesn't seem turned." Victor answered as he finished up. Raven placed her hand on the bandage. "I'll have to change it tomorrow too so it doesn't get infected. Richard, could you and Kori go to the market later. We're almost out of bandage." Victor said while he picked up the kit, the last sentence was aimed right at Raven as he huffed it out. She glared at him. "Don't give me that look." He said without turning, Raven stuck out her tongue like a child angry at their parents.

She hated it when they made her feel like a child, but the fact was that she made them do it. Coming home with a new bleeding wound made them having to ground her until it healed. She felt like a child, they treated her as a child, but in the end it was her own fault. She could easily quit her job and find another, but the vampires would find her in the end. She would also risk her family, which they didn't know. Quitting would mean that they were in more danger than before. When she worked she could at least save them.

If they needed it, that is. Her family was pretty good on their own. Victor was a blacksmith, which meant that he knew weapons. Richard was pretty athletic. Kori and Garfield would be the ones that needed more saving, but they could still fight for their grounds.

Raven sat in the living room for a few other minutes, staring at her lap. What was she going to do? She wanted to please her family, but she needed to stop the evils that threatened so much. Her family, her city, her home.

"Raven?"

Raven's eyes looked up into the eyes of Richard, he sat across the room looking at her with the book lying open in his lap. "Huh?"

"You zoned out, are you okay?"

Raven looked away. "I will be."

"Raven, please don't lie to us. We want to keep you safe, but you keep throwing yourself into danger." He said. She knew that tone, he was trying to guilt trip her. It had only worked once in her entire life, but that was Maribelle.

A quick memory flashed in her eyes.

A twelve year old Raven walked down the stairs in the darkness. It was almost midnight and Raven knew the only thing to fear in the house at this hour was the grandfather clock in the living room. Maribelle had put everyone to bed at nine and herself at ten. This wasn't the first time Raven had snuck out of the house to go hunting. The little girl had her weapons on her side. Her hands holding them tight not wanting them to clang together.

Raven took a step towards the door. Slowly as she walked towards it she passed the living room doorway.

The lights turned on.

Raven turned to the woman sitting in the rocking chair. Maribelle lifted an eyebrow at the frozen girl. She placed the knitting needles in her lap. "Where are you going?" She asked.

Raven swallowed, she didn't want to say anything.

Maribelle placed her hobby in a small basket of yarn next to the chair, before she stood up. Walking up to the girl, who now looked down in shame. "Raven, it is almost midnight. Why are you not in bed?"

"They're out there, Mari. They could be harming people." She pointed to the door.

"I understand that you want to stop the vampires, but you are so very young. You should at least sleep through the night." Maribelle placed her hands on Raven's shoulders bending down to her eye level. "Come on, let's get you back in bed." She began to lead Raven back to the stairs. But on the bottom on the stairs, Raven stopped.

"I can't. I have to-" She turned back towards the door, starting for it. But Maribelle grabbed her arm.

"Raven, please."

"N-No." Raven forced her arm out of the woman's grasp before running towards the door. She didn't look back as she smashed it closed behind her. She could hear the faint voice of Maribelle as she ran down the road.

"Raven Roth…" Maribelle started. "Had your mother only seen you now." Her tone rung with both disappointment and pride.

Raven had come back bloody and bruised the next day. She hadn't even bothered to go to her room when she came home so she laid down in the hallway. She was lucky that Garfield had needed a glass of water. It helped that he called for help, but not that his scream almost blew up her eardrums. She remember who she fought that night, it was a vampire named Dr. Light or something, a weakling. She was twelve and she took him out in just an hour. Stronger vampires could take a little longer, unless they were Jason. Then it apparently took years.

Raven looked back in her memories to her mother, it was little she remember, but something was there. She remember when her mother fought for her life and Ravens when the vampire broke into their house, it ended up being Raven at eight that killed vampire. Her mother's last word was stuck in her head like a quote. "Don't cry, Raven… I'm always with you. Even when you can't see me. I'm here."

Raven shook her head again. She needed to stop daydreaming.

"I'll be fine, Richard." Raven turned and walked to her room.

xXx

The same night, she snuck out, again. The others had locked the front door hoping it would keep her in. But when she realized. Fools, she thought, they forgot the windows! And she climbed out the window. She made the mistake when she had to climb out a window on the second floor, but she landed in a bush so she was fine.

Walking into the familiar forest she had entered so many times, she pulled the dagger out of it's pocket. She looked down at the silver weapon. She looked into her own reflection of the dagger. Her eyes, they were her mother's. Her mother's warm, comforting eyes reflected in the dagger. Raven bit back a cry that tried to escape her. A tear escaped her eye, it splashed onto the dagger and changed the reflection back to her own.

Raven looked back to the path, it was autumn and the orange leaves were starting to cover the gravel path. The moon was what gave her light during the night, but she had always had an ability to see in the darkness.

"Thought you'd never show up." Raven turned to the speaker. On a thick branch in a tree sat the vampire Raven she didn't want to see right now. Jason sat with his cocky smirk against the trunk for the tree looking down at her.

"What do you want?" Raven hissed.

"I want to discuss my offer." He jumped from the branch gracefully, before walking towards her. "I have decided that I do no longer desire the people of Gotham, I'll retire from my killing spree around town," He paused. "On one condition."

"That I never go hunting for you again?" She guessed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "That I retire from vampire hunting?"

"That you come with me." Raven bit back a gasp of surprised. "As the prize for the lives of Gotham. I want you to come with me, as mine."

"Like what? Your sex slave?" She growled.

"You're offering," He shrugged. "But no, I want you to stay at my castle. I will not hurt you, nor will you hurt me." He looked away showing off his pride and cockyness. "It's a small price to pay if you ask me."

Raven was actually considering it, it was a small price to pay in her eyes. She didn't consider her life as much. Her life for the rest of Gotham's. No. She couldn't buy herself out like that. "No." She said.

"Oh?"

"No deal."

"Why not?"

"You're not worth my time." She growled.

"Oh I beg to differ." He smiled before throwing something at her, she caught it with ease. Looking at it, she saw it was a small red gem. "Contact me, but before I go. I want you to think, what about the city, the innocent, the children, your family." She looked him in the eyes. "As we both know, I'm strong, and four healthy humans could be a good meal."

They stood in silence for another few minutes. In her mind she had already killed him like six times. Then her eyes grew wide at the voice of someone too close to her heart.

"Raven!" It was Victor.

"Raven!" Kori.

"Where are you!" Garfield.

Raven swore under her breath and looked at the now darkly smirking Jason. "You might want to think twice." He took a step towards the voices, Raven took a step towards him. She readied her dagger at the end of her fingers, ready to attack if he even tried.

"Don't."

"Guys! I found her!" It was Richard, he and the others ran out on the path watching the two enemies eyeing each other.

"Why the Hell did you follow me?" Raven yelled.

"It was Richard's idea!" Garfield cried. "He said you were acting strange!" Raven shook her,but did not take her eyes of Jason.

"Now, Raven, I want an answer." Jason smirked.

"What is he talking about?" Kori asked as she looked at the two in worry.

"Go home." Raven commanded. "Now!"

"Ah ah, Raven." Jason stopped them with his finger. "They're not going anywhere until I get an answer."

"What answer." The group was really regretting coming looking for her.

Raven looked over at her family before returning her gaze back to Jason. She glared at him. "Fine. I'll go with you."

Jason smiled widely, before pulling out his own knife. "Wonderful."

"Raven what is he talking about?!" Her family cried.

Raven didn't answer, she watched as Jason drew the iron blade over his right palm. A small pool of blood coated his palm before he handed the knife to Raven. She knew what he was doing. He was binding them by blood. When she took his bloody hand with her own, they would belong to each other and nothing would free them, that was unless you killed the other. But the other in the blood bond couldn't kill the other. This was for both safety, she would never be able to kill him, nor he her.

Raven held the iron knife the her right palm, but she hesitated to cut. She glanced at her family, they were shaking their heads at her. They had no idea what was going on, but they didn't like it.

"A deal is a deal, Raven." The knife went through her skin, she hissed in pain before dropping the knife to the ground. The two dealers walked closer to each other before Jason took out his hand, some of the blood dripped down to the leaves underneath them.

Raven took out her hand and shook Jason's, sealing the deal. There was no going back now.

Raven turned away as she felt the wounds heal. She looked at her family with sad eyes. "Go home," She muttered. "Please." They started for her, wanting to comfort her. "No, just go home. You've done enough for me." She looked away.

Jason was smiling. "You heard the lady, go home." Jason waved them off. But they didn't move. So instead, he decided to show the family what they had made her do. "Now, Raven." He didn't wait for her to look at him, he grabbed her chin, tilted her head upwards and wrapped his lips around hers.

The ones not involved in the kiss gasped, Victor was about to run up and punch him, but Raven's pleading eyes stopped him.

When the kiss broke, Raven turned away in shame. "Now, why don't we go home." He grabbed her to his chest and faded into the darkness, the others were unable to stop them.

xXx

I dare you to guess who I quoted Arella's last sentence from, here's a hint: Disney.

Anyway, I think this is going the way of "Beauty and the Beast" But I'll try to make it different as much as I can.