Chapter 17 Awkward in the Shadows

Chills ran up and down Raven's arms, making her feel like she was contracting a nervousness-fueled hypothermia. She rubbed her arms as he looked at her double. So tall. So beautiful. So…so…creepy. Every glance that she sent Raven, with her violet eye hidden underneath a layer of very dark shadow, made the sorceress' stomach churn like butter. Why did every look that Raven sent her way have to be so..flat?

Raven sucked in a breath. Normally, in circumstances like this one, a surefire way to dispel the awkwardness and discomfort was to start up a conversation. Of course, it would take a boatload of courage and confidence that she didn't have in order for Raven to talk to her interdimensional self. But then again, the silence was strong enough at this point to weigh down on her. She had to break it. She just had to.

So, she cleared her throat and put on a smile. "Hi. I'm Raven." She chuckled and scratched the back of her head. "Of course, you probably don't need me to tell you that, hehe he…" she shook her head. "It's really nice to meet you."

Raven was silent for a minute before sniffing. "You too."

Raven swallowed a lump. Even her voice, with a guttural roll that made every word she spoke scratchy and dark, was off putting. Raven's mind raced as she thought about what her next course of action should be. Should she talk some more?

Well, her tongue was already expelling words, so she supposed there was no backing out. "Are you excited for this fight?" She laughed and gently punched her double in the arm. "We've got a whole stadium worth of people who are going to be watching us." Saying those words reminded Raven about the nerveracking fear she felt about the upcoming event. A whole stadium worth of people were here to watch. A whole stadium worth of people were going to see her potentially lose control of her demonic powers.

"Are you okay?"

Raven did a double take. Did her double just ask her a question? Like, a real, legitimate, honest question.

"Huh?"

Raven pulled back. "Sorry. I've got empathic powers, and I sensed that you're a little uneased."

Raven shook her head. "I…I'm okay, all things considered." She was not about to spill every last terrifying emotion that she felt into her doubles lap. Raven knew that she herself hated when other people did that to her, so there was no reason to think that her double didn't feel similar.

Raven didn't look too convinced, but she nodded regardless. "Okay then." She leaned against the wall, drumming her fingers while biting her lip. "To answer your question from before, I'm not psyched about this fight."

"Oh?" Raven asked.

Raven sighed. "I've spent a long time battling my own inner demons." She snuck her double a sideways glance. "This is kinda annoyingly literal."

Raven rose an eyebrow. What in the world was THAT supposed to mean? Although, she did relate to it on some level. She too was currently battling an inner demon of her own, an inner demon that would devour her human half like it was the main course of a Sunday brunch.

So, ultimately, Raven chuckled. "Yeah. Tell me about it." She almost reached up to touch her gem, but decided against it.

Raven groaned and stood up straight. "I never really saw the point of battles like these. Cyborg and Beast Boy have gotten into pro wrestling recently. It's almost as childish as their love for video games."

Raven snickered. "You find them annoying too, huh?"

"Yes." Raven pressed her lips together, annunciating each syllable of the next word she said. "Extremely."

Raven laughed. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised about this. This was, after all, an alternate version of her.

"I can't stand them sometimes," she confessed. "They're all like 'booyah' and 'what up my dudes.' And, worst of all, "PAY ATTENTION DURING MANDATORY MEETINGS!" Raven actually cracked herself up at her own impression.

Raven, however, looked mighty confused. "Your Cyborg and Beast Boy say that?"

"Oh! No no, that was supposed to be my Robin." Raven scratched the back of her head for the second time this conversation. "He's the most annoying out of all of them."

"I see." That was all that Raven responded with. She directed her gaze away from Raven and onto the floor. Either this conversation made her uncomfortable, or she was already bored with it. Either way, that didn't bode well in Raven's favor.

In fact, the chills from before returned, icier and more painful. Raven's teeth even chattered. She decided that there was only one way, one method she could practice that would calm her right back down.

She sat down on the floor, crossed her legs, closed her eyes, and started chanting. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" she let out a stream of air. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos…" Everything faded away, every last negative emotion and every bit of awareness regarding her exterior circumstances. Soon, it was just her, the darkness, and her mantra. A beautiful combination. A peaceful combination.

"Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos…" she allowed her chest to rise and fall. Like a bird flapping its wings in a consistent, chill rhythm. Like the human heart, bumping along at a steady pace. She could stay here forever.

"Titans, to your positions!"

The sound of the Master of Games shouting woke Raven right back up. She exchanged a look with her double. "Sounds like it's time for the fight."

"You don't say." She let out a breath. "Well, we might as well get this over with."

Raven nodded. She rose to a standing position and walked toward the door. Just before she exited, Raven tapped her on the shoulder.

"You know," she said, the tiniest traces of a smile on her face, "I meditate with that mantra too."

Raven smiled back. "Cool." She looked toward the door. "Well…good luck."

"Same to you."

With that, they began walking out into the arena. Raven's nerves, shot to hell and back, told her this would not be a pleasant experience. She hoped they were wrong. She very sincerely hoped they were wrong.