Reviews
Takao-kun
The problem with killing the villains is that if the heroes did that then the writers would have to keep coming up with new bad guys which they couldn't keep doing.
Conan lagace
Slade wants Robin alive so he won't be too upset.
DC Gothic – Red-X
Part 18
Consolation Prizes
Location Unknown
It felt odd but at the same time so good to be in X's arms. To have his muscular arms wrapped around her. His chin rested gently against the top of her head, as she listen to beating of another persons heart, and Raven couldn't help but wonder if this was all real.
Given the strangeness of recent events no one would blame her for doubting reality. Even for a Teen Titan who'd actually met the Games Master before, this tournament was odd to say the least. It didn't seem be any sort of trick, and even the losers were benefiting from taking part as there consolation prizes.
Upon losing to Jinx it was only natural for Raven to have assumed that she would sent back home or at the very least to be ignored by the host. But instead she found herself meeting with the Traveller, the being who set up this contest for reasons unknown.
He'd looked like a normal man, or at least as normal as a person sitting on a throne while wearing black robes could look. But Raven hadn't been fooled, she'd been able to sense that the being was far more than he seemed. Given that he enslaved the Games Master he had to be.
Other people had gotten consolation prizes, but nothing major so Raven hadn't expected anything special to happen. Which meant she'd be rather surprised when she'd found herself sitting down for some afternoon tea, after being transported to a lovely garden.
Her prize had been knowledge, a way to defeat Trigon's plans for her. The Traveller had explained to her that Trigon's escape from the dimension he was bound to required a few conditions.
One of those was for an eclipse to to block out the sun. Not that hard for a powerful being like Trigon to bring about.
Another was that Raven had to be at a certain place (which happened to be somewhere in Jump City) on the right day to perform the spell. With Trigon being able to influence her, combined with the prophecy then this was most likely going to happen.
Also his Gem, which was Raven, had to be a virgin. If she was not a virgin she wasn't the Gem any more and while that didn't make the prophecy invalid it did mean it wouldn't apply to her. Trigon could create another Gem, but the other conditions weren't something that happened everyday, it would centuries at least before Trigon could try to break free once more.
Hearing that had shocked the part demon to her core, and at first she hadn't known what to think, but the Traveller had explained more.
Trigon's ability to influence her emotions was why Raven went to such great efforts to keep people at a distance. She didn't want to hurt her friends so she isolated herself. This was according the Traveller exactly what Trigon wanted because feelings like love were toxic to demonic creatures. So her father would do everything he could to keep his daughter from getting close enough to someone to form a romantic relationship.
At first Raven had thought that this information was rather useless as while she had a way out, she couldn't take it. That was until the Traveller then told that Trigon's influence over her was extremely weak right now because she was in a place the Traveller had total dominion over.
She believed this because she'd been unable to access her full power when fighting Jinx, the demonic side of her hadn't manifested, and now she knew why. It was being suppressed by being here.
Then she'd why she was being told all of this, the Traveller had told her that he'd already seen how things would play out in when in another universe and that he wanted to change things because he loathed Trigon.
Raven believed that last part, because she couldn't imagine anyone actually liking Trigon. But she wasn't foolish enough to assume that this wasn't just some sort of trick. However that didn't mean she was willing to take the risk.
After that Raven had found herself in the corridor of the room she was being forced to share with Red-X, and she hadn't needed anything else explained to her.
Not that she jumped the thief right then and there, she had a few days to think things over and she wasn't the kind of girl who would have sex with someone she hardly knew, and she was rather nervous about the idea.
So she'd sought at Starfire for some girl talk. Raven hadn't told her friend everything, she'd focused on the idea of having sex with Red-X, as he was the only guy she had a real attraction. Plus they had everything they needed to make the first time special, and she was smart enough to figure out this wasn't by chance.
After talking with Starfire the idea of losing her cherry was getting less scary by the moment as while Red-X was a jerk sometimes he had a sweet time, and she couldn't deny the attraction. She'd already decided to try and have a romance of sorts with the crook at New Years, and her consolation prize was only encouraging her. Plus without her demon side holding her back she was finding it easier to open up.
Now was a good time, but last night hadn't been quite right as things had been a little tense between them, and she'd still needed time to think, but maybe tonight it would work.
Looking around the Teen Titan she glanced up at it to see it was almost seven in the morning, and while that didn't require her to get up to start her day she found that she needed to use the bathroom.
Carefully she wriggled her way out of X's arms, but as soon as she tried, she found his grip on her grow tighter at least until the crook woke up.
"You must have been really cold" he remarked.
Raven hide her face and the scooted off to the bathroom to hide the fact that she actually feeling very warm.
When she got back she found that the door had only repapered, but that it was also open and Robin was standing just outside the room. He couldn't enter the room, as only the people staying in them could do that, but that wasn't stopping him from blocking the door, and by the looks of things Red-X was not going to let the Boy Wonder act like bully.
"What are you doing here?" she asked Robin
Both guys turned to look towards the direction of the voice.
"Raven.." Robin began before stopping to try and find the right words.
The part-demon had already figured out why Robin was here. Foolishly Raven had confided in her best female friend, and while Starfire was not one to tell a secret if she could help it she was also very honest. If Robin had come out and asked Starfire about how Raven was handling sharing a room with Red-X then the alien princess would spill the beans as it were.
"I'm not in danger Robin. I don't need saving" Raven said.
And she was rather offended by the idea. Red-X couldn't hurt her here it was impossible, and even he could she was hardly a helpless damsel.
Robin's confusion was written on his face, even the mask covering his eyes couldn't hide it. Raven could almost hear him thinking
"What's going on, Rae? Is there something I should know about?" the hero asked.
Her friend didn't have all the details Raven realised. Starfire must have been able to hold something back, that or he was trying to be coy.
Robin then reached out to grab her hand, but Raven moved away from the door.
"Why does it matter, Robin?" the purple haired magic girl asked "You have Starfire".
Red-X was wisely staying out of this, but he was still listening if only to figure out why all this fresh madness was happening.
"I can't have a member of my team getting romantically involved with a villain!" the male Teen Titan bellowed.
If Raven had been able to access her demon side right now her eyes would be glowing and tendrils of darkness would be making an appearance just so she could hide how embarrassed she was right now. But lucky for Robin that wasn't possible.
"So now you're in love with X?" Robin asked in a very unkind way "He's my enemy!"
Raven seemed to shrink under his rage, but that was when what he had said was fully processed. He'd said 'my enemy' not 'our enemy'.
"This isn't about you!" Raven almost roared before slamming the door.
The door vanished then for reasons unknown, but she was grateful for that, but it didn't calm her down and she only had one person left to vent at.
"We're having sex, tonight!" she told Red-X.
It sounded like a fact, not a request or an invitation.
"You will cook for me" she then added "and it better be a nice meal".
This was far from how she'd imagined her first time would be but she'd damned if Robin was not going to ruin it for her by being a selfish git. Besides Red-X could be romantic, she was sure of it.
"And find some candles" she also ordered "or it's not happening".
Candles played a big role in her fantasies, but it nothing freaky she just wanted them as mood lighting.
"Sunshine. I'm beginning to like you" Red-X said.
But only because she'd pissed off Robin so much, any one who could do as well as he could deserved a nice dinner and sex with candles.
It was the least he could do. Well maybe he could find some massage oils and give her back rub too.
(Line Break)
Location Unknown
Breakfast had turned out to be an interesting affair. Until now every contestant in this game was either a villain or a hero, not that I was either in my view, but now there was something new.
'Orion' was the name given by Game Master, his actually name could not be pronounced with human vocal chords
As for his species he was a Yautja. I knew him as a Predator, and to Blackfire's people they were know by the title 'The Hunters'. According to her the Predators had been to her world in the past.
In height I guessed him to about 7'10" and he had tan reptilian skin, his upper chest is armored, and on his right forearm he had wristblade. His left arm was thankfully lacking the self destruct device. From where I was sitting I could see that Orion was wearing Mask and that he had dreadlocks didn't quite reach shoulders yet. Last of all he had deadly Plasma Caster on left shoulder.
The Games Master had also told us that "Orion" was a young Blooded Hunter that had teleported from a Xenomorph Hunt to the Contest
Another interesting thing was that Robin, also knew what "Orion" was and also he horrified that the Game Master would allow such monsters into the Contest. Apparently in this time line Batman had faced a Predator and won, but it had been a fearsome battle, or at least that was what I had overheard during the morning meal.
Now it was lunch time and 'Orion had already fought in a match against a hero called Wildebeest. The fight had been a short lived one. After exchanging a few blows Wildebeest had charged "Orion", but the Predator had stood his ground and grabbed Wildebeest by the horns, once Wildebeest had expended the momentum of his charge. "Orion" had taken one hand off a horn, grabbed Wildebeest's chin, and then hunter had twisted Wildebeest's neck, killing the hero before cutting the head off to take as a trophy.
Now "Orion" was eating a huge bucket of chicken. I watched as stripped the bones of meat and then ate the bones to making very audible CRUNCH noise. It was like watching something on the discovery channel.
"You are one ugly motherfucker" I heard someone say.
The Predator's reaction was to quickly stand up and roar at the villain who had foolishly spoken. The guy ran for it and tripped spilling his food everywhere but no one laughed.
(Line Break)
Location Unknown
It was dark here, if not for the mask I wore I'd be totally blind but having nightvision just made the whole thing more scary and everything was terrifying enough already. I think the worst part was the Praetorian Xenomorph, was called Fido and it was a pet the Games Master had gotten from somewhere or other.
This was a special match. I had to win other wise I'd not be able to compete further, but that wasn't my why I wanted to win. Really I had to win or the Xenomorph I was up against would kill in a horrible way.
Being immortal wouldn't help much if I got torn to pieces. I might be able to heal knife wounds and deal with poisons, but that didn't mean I'd get better if my head was ripped off or my brains got eaten.
The problem I was having was that I was scared. The creature I was suppose to fight was the stuff of nightmares. In my case that wasn't a metaphor I'd seen the alien films when I was just a kid and the first movie had given me nightmares. I remembered the scene when some poor bastard was in the air vents and the alien was getting closer and closer, but the guy couldn't see it. He only knew it was there because of the motion detector, and then the alien was the last thing he ever saw.
Now I was moving around some caves and I didn't have a motion detector to tell me it was getting closer all I could do was imagine it and that was worse.
If I saw the creature coming then maybe I had a chance. I could pin it down with sticky Xs and then blast it with my Xenothium powered gun.
That was the best plan I had. I couldn't set up an ambush because I didn't know where I was and what I did know was the alien would come at me in ways I might not expect.
When I heard a rock fall down I turned but saw nothing. However I didn't relax as stones don't just bounce off walls by themselves. The monster was nearby.
My heart was pounding in my chest, cold sweat covered by body and my throat had never felt so dry. I was filled with fear but the fight or flight instinct refused to kick in. Fear had crippled me.
However when the time to act came and I saw the Praetorian Xenomorph I fired two sticky Xs so fast that even I hadn't know I'd done into the creature was pinned to the wall of the cave I was hiding in.
For a few seconds I could do nothing but get my breathing under control, then I wanted to run I wanted to run as far as I could and not stop until I found a place to hide.
But before I could get my legs to move the alien did something strange. It vomited all over itself, but this wasn't normal puke it was acid and that substance began to dissolve the sticky stuff that was keeping the creature pinned to the wall.
Then I ran. I legged it into a tunnel and kept looking behind me. The alien ran on all fours and was rapidly gaining. Somewhere in my panicking mind I knew that I was going to die very soon unless I did something.
I didn't think I just acted. I had explosives. I'd never used them and for the most part they were meant to be distractions. Outdoors there would but in this confined space with lose rocks they caused this section of the tunnel to collapse.
That was when I fell to the ground. I couldn't even tell how far I'd run but my legs could barely hold my weight. But when I saw the the xenomorph wasn't dead I had to get up again and I had to fight.
The alien was trapped beneath the rocks, yet it was still able to move. It's acid blood was pooling beneath the creature and I knew that if it didn't bleed to death then soon it would be free as the stones were dissolving.
Deep down inside every man there is a savage, the part that knows how to kill creatures that should by all rights be able to rip us apart. There's a reason why humans rule the Earth even while powerful lions, ferocious bears and cunning wolves still exist.
The simple reason is that having claws and teeth don't mean much when the clever ape rams a spear into your head before you can close enough to kill. My staff could become a spear and I drove into the alien creature's mouth even as it's second set of jaws made an appearance.
My spear was made of a tough alloy, it wasn't strong enough to resist the acid but before it dissolved the weapon did it's job. The Praetorian Xenomorph had a brain and when the metal was driven into that organ it died.
(Line Break)
Location Unknown
Moments later I was standing before the Traveller, the being who had set all this up, and in my hands I held a brand new staff. It was much like my old one only the spear tip could electrified and it was made from Nth metal which would make it lethal to magical beings.
Yet as amazing as this weapon was I couldn't even bring myself to say thank you. All I could do was think about Xenomorph, even if death it still scared the shit out of me and I knew that if I did manage to sleep tonight I'd be having a nightmare or two.
"You fought to the death" the robed figure was now saying "and as such you deserve a bonus".
I didn't even care about that. My heart was still pounding in my chest and I still wanted to go and hide somewhere.
"Just a piece of information" the host of this event said "The button on your suit, the one you haven't figured out what it does. It makes you invisible".
I had been wondering what the button did, other than drain power. I should have tested in front of a mirror.
"Thanks" I muttered.
That was when I felt the tugging sensation and was transported somewhere else.