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Enjoy!

Chap. 16

Time passed. More than two weeks since The Beast had tamed Lust, and Raven had been impregnated by it, the second Stigmata appeared. And, it turned out, the third. Both appeared on Raven's thighs, burning in a scarlet mirror of each other, the Infernal Runes represented two opposite concepts: Slave, and Free. That "Free" was also the same word for "Overlord" in that foul tongue was not, she knew, a coincidence. Both were abhorrent to her now, but she could no more remove the magical writing by any means she knew of than remove her own skin.

She had even considered that in the first panicked moments after realizing they were there, but knew it would have done no good. Her body would have healed, and the Stigmata would have remained. They were, after all, a mark on her soul, not the physical shell.

Thankfully, too, Beast Boy had been there, tired, even a bit ragged after being a dog, a tiger, and then himself through three successive bouts of sex the night before. His presence alone had helped, his fatigue forcing calm, which had helped her calm too. His quiet words, "Rae, it's gonna be okay. It's just a couple stupid symbols," had actually made her laugh at the absurdity of it.

He didn't know, couldn't possibly know, what they meant. The mark on her forehead was Trigon's name, written indelibly on her very soul. Together, the three of them marked her as his property. There were more coming, too, she could feel it. Then again, she had mused as he held her trembling body close, Garfield's reaction would have been the exact same if he did know. Blind faith, trust that somehow, they would win.

Raven couldn't blame him, they'd come through a lot together. She loved her team, her friends, and yes, trusted them. She had hope. But that's all it was, hope. There was no plan. None of them could predict the method or way or exact time in which the door would open, and Trigon the Terrible would step into their universe to consume it utterly.

But his kisses, his hugs, his stupid, reassuring words of boundless optimism and faith had an effect all the same.

So when she had showered, and dressed, she forced Beast Boy out of her bed to his own room to sleepily prepare for the day himself while she meditated. It had helped too, even if dark thoughts and intrusive feelings kept clawing their way up from her subconscious. She was able to order them, and even control some of her more unruly emotions. Fear had been the worst of the lot, but she was able to tamp that down too, at least for now.

The problem was Lust. That emotion was rarely seen until recently, but it had been omnipresent throughout her psyche for the last few two months. Until, it seemed, The Beast had quelled her, because Raven still felt her presence, but had not seen hide nor hair of the pink-cloaked emotion since that night.

All the emotion, the mana, the essence of magic filtered through her demonic blood and soul she had fed Lust had gone somewhere. But Raven had no idea where. The Aspect had been so strong, she'd overwhelmed what were normally her two strongest Aspects, Reason and Anger, at the same time! Now she was just... vanished. Invisible, all that power gone from her sight or ability to detect. As she stepped from the shower and dressed herself, Raven could only come up with one solution.

She'd have to go looking to find out what Lust was doing. Where she was, and why.

It wasn't like she could just let the Aspect run rampant, after all. Those poor dogs would never be the same! Not to mention the sudden spike in pregnancies she had no doubt caused in that small town...

No, she couldn't afford to let Lust run loose at all. None of them could.

That's just going to make this meeting all the more unpleasant, she thought darkly.

Robin looked around the small conference table, his expression flat as he looked at each of them in turn. Raven could feel his emotions as always, tightly controlled, but definitely there no matter what he showed. Toward Starfire, the first person he looked at, exasperation, admiration, and a bit of pent-up excitement. Cyborg, to her right, trust, reliance, friendship, and a little bit of admiration too, though of a different sort: Victor Stone was a big brother to them all in many ways, and Robin especially. Beast Boy was difficult for Robin's feelings to pin down, but she felt much as she always did: friendship, trust, maybe a little worry.

But for her, the last person he looked to, who currently sat at his left? No, nothing normal there. There was usually trust, too. Friendship. A bit of desire, because he was red-blooded as any man she'd ever met, just more controlled, as usual. That was the normal set.

Today, as had been the case since she'd first told them about Trigon being prophesied to use her as a door into their reality, there was a great deal more. Confusion, fear, bubbling panic beneath the surface because he believed her when she said there was no planning for it, nothing they could do to stop it, but he couldn't allow himself to show it. Anxiety, worry, and... well, the only thing there that was always there was the desire. He wanted her more poignantly now, and as she wondered why, visions of her body, Lust, being taken by The Beast in the training room filtered from his mind into hers.

Oh. You pervert! How many times have you and Star watched us, huh, Robin? Not gonna tell us you've been using the security feeds illicitly, are you? Hah...

Not that she could broadcast those thoughts directly, not without an actual spell. She was an Empath, not a Telepath. Only the Stigmata that somehow strangely amplified her abilities while making them harder to control had allowed even those brief flickers of memory to come through.

Her focus snapped back like a rubber band being released as the young man in question spoke, his voice sharp as always, "So what's the sitrep, Raven? Cy says you had elevated pulse and blood pressure this morning, but, uh, not for very long."

She thought about blushing, sure that, by now, they were all thinking she and Beast Boy had fucked again But no, that was hardly unusual these days. Even with Lust in hiding or whatever she was doing, she still wanted to be with Garfield either as himself or an animal at least twice a day. No, that wouldn't raise Cyborg's suspicions, or even the always-paranoid Robin's. "T- Two more Stigmata appeared last night."

Then she stood and stepped back from the table, briefly flexing her soul-self so that the two crimson runes burned brightly through her tights.

After the rest had gotten a good look while Raven tried not to blush at them all staring at her, she sat back down, and told them what they meant, including the one on her forehead. Once her explanation was over, each of the four others looked shocked, horrified in their own way, but Starfire most of all. "Your body is not his property," the former slave hissed angrily, her eyes blazing violently with agate light.

"No," Raven shook her head quietly, "it's not referring to my body, Star. All of me. Everything, my whole existence. And I'm just telling you what I think they mean together. We won't know for sure until the rest appear. That might- might not happen until my birthday."

"And we still don't have any idea what we could do to get rid of them?"

Raven shook her head, "Not without annihilating my soul, no. It can't be done, you can't un-write something like that. Maybe if you could shape an entire reality, but... that's what it'd take, that kind of power. It wouldn't do any good anyway, though. He'd just re-write them."

"What exactly do the runes do?" Cyborg asked softly, "I mean, I know it's some magic mumbo-jumbo bullshit, but..."

"I don't know," she answered honestly, "it could be parts of a ritual, or even the written components of a spell. Why a being like Trigon would have to resort to mortal magicks to do anything is beyond me, but that's the best guess I've got. Other options? He could just be marking me so that others stay away and leave me alone. Staking his claim. It's... it's possibly it's just to make us afraid. Or-"

She fell silent. Raven did not want to voice that last fear, one that had kept her awake for several nights in the last few weeks, even if rationally she knew it was ridiculous. It had to be. Her team wouldn't kill her to prevent Trigon's arrival.

... Would they?

No. No, they couldn't. It wasn't in their nature, would be very against their nature. They would father fight and give up than betray their principals. Even if Raven urged them to do so in this case. Better she die than the universe day. Better her and her child, than the universe. It was just simple math, right?

Right...?

"You're looking into it? You haven't given up?"

"No, of course not," Raven scoffed, "I just... there isn't much to look into. People in this universe barely know he exists. Most of what's written about him is regarded as mad even by occult scholars. I even asked Zatanna, she has no idea who Trigon is. Never heard of him, even. The only other person I might consider asking is... well... al Ghul. Ra's."

Robin's eyes narrowed, the others mostly looked confused. "Why him?"

Raven could only shrug half-heartedly, "I don't know who else to ask, mostly. He's studied the occult, and because of the Lazarus Pits, he's... well, old. Old-old. If anyone would know... I know we can't trust him, but..."

"He doesn't want to die, either," Robin finished quietly. He looked to the others for a moment, "For those who don't know, Thalia al Ghul is my... replacement's mother. Damien Wayne, my adopted brother, is three. Batman's already training him. Her father is... a complicated man. Not one of the 'good guys'. He's been one of Batman's greatest, most cunning foes since Bruce took up the mask. Basically immortal, he underwent a ritual that keeps him coming back when he dies, and keeps him young. Smart, cunning, vicious. If anyone would know... Raven's right. But I want you guys to know what she'd be getting into, just in case. He's not to be trusted."

"I know that," Raven said firmly, "I know him better than you do. I've actually met the man. Run in the same circles long enough... you're absolutely right we shouldn't trust him, but I think you're right about the motivations. The Pits won't keep him alive if there's no universe left. It's in his best interest to help. But before that... I need to spend a day inside myself."

Beast Boy, immature that he was, snickered.

Cyborg smirked, "That what we're calling it these days?"

Her glare, at least, made him sit back in his seat with a quiet little meep. "I meant inside... Nevermore. There's something going on, and I need to figure out what. I don't dare go alone, though. Not with... with things as they have been."

"I'll go," Beast Boy volunteered at once.

Raven shook her head, "Can't. You're... don't take this the wrong way, Gar, but you're the cause of some of it. I can't risk you... interfering. It needs to be someone else. Robin, maybe."

The Boy wonder frowned. "If you're going to contact Ra's al Ghul, then you'll need my help. I'll put out some feelers, but it kind of ties my hands. I'll go if you need me to, but it'll slow down the next step. If he'll meet with us at all, even talk to us."

"I'd say that's a higher priority. I can do the work myself, I just need someone to keep an eye out. Star? Cy?"

"I've gotta keep an eye on the tower if everyone else is busy... and if Grass Stain can't be the one 'cause it'll be harder for you, then he's basically going to be patrolling on his own until you get done."

"Then I will be the one," Starfire announced, "I have not been to the Nevermore, but I look forward to the experience."

Those that had shared a significant look, but no one had any powerful objections. The only thing anyone said at all came from Raven, "It's not going to be easy. Mostly for me, but maybe for you. I'll be showing you some of the deepest parts of myself. Being that vulnerable is... hard. But I trust you, Star, or I'd never have even asked. Be ready for anything. Nevermore's basically my mind-scape, and the Aspects are... powerful, there. Very powerful. If you think I'm strong in a regular fight, well... reality-shaping is a lot easier when it's all in your head."

Starfire nodded solemnly, "I will be careful."

"Alright," Robin proclaimed, "then we all know what to do. Beast Boy, you're on Patrols. Be careful, and don't hesitate to call Cy or myself if you need backup. Cy, watch the Tower, I'll probably be in the command center for most of what I need to do. Maybe keep logs of all the calls and transmissions, just in case. Star... she's not kidding. Things can get... weird. Be careful."

The alien woman nodded once, "I will try."

"Then, unless there's nothing else to discuss...? Titans: Go!"

Nevermore, the realm that existed entirely within Raven's mind, was a strange place at the best of times. She had entered it well over a thousand times, at least weekly since the place had first been formed under the watchful guidance of Azar, when she was still a child just starting to understand what might have been pubescence.

Back then, it had been simple: a place a building blocks and simple shapes, simple colors, and bright music. She hadn't yet understood why she was different from the few other children in the demi-plane, only that she was. Yet she had yearned for what they all yearned for, then: friends, happiness, her mother's smile, a warm hug, a fun story, princesses in their towers and questing knights to save them and, gasp, maybe win a kiss. Scandalous!

Of course, as all things do, as she aged, Raven had matured as well. With that maturation came more sophisticated mind-scapes, from the too-girly things she had developed as puberty had first begun, all posters of the handsome men and boys of Azar along with memories of the rare bits of Earth that came through, to what she imagined Punk Rock had sounded like (and boy, had she been way off!). From there, she had 'evolved' to something akin to modern-day steampunk, only with more strange creatures reminiscent of Lovecraftian Horror-punk mixed in. That, she now knew, was the influence of her demonic side, which had started to rear her head around the age of thirteen.

The rebellious year (and just a year, thank Azar, for even his patience had been tested, she was sure, and her poor mother's certainly was) of fourteen had brought the most rapid changes. Nevermore was always different, every time she entered, but that year had been like going from sunshine and lollipops in the form of the Monster-Goth-Punk to Eldritch Horrors beyond imagining, back to mostly-happy sulfurous hellscapes, melancholy, storm-swept water worlds, and more tranquil places beneath the waves of the same on every single trip.

At fifteen, the place had mostly stabilized. It was that stability which had led Azar to extent her training: Specifically, to leave Azar for Earth, and gain more practical and real-world experience with her powers and, more importantly, herself.

Which had, not long after, led her to the Teen Titans. They were, at once, both her greatest trial, and the source of her greatest strength. She loved them, and they drove her batshit crazy. Was that how her mother felt, sometimes, during those rebellious years? Probably something like it, Raven mused as she finished guiding Starfire through the purification rituals and meditative practices necessary to maintain control of oneself while in the dreamscape.

Her mirror did most of the heavy lifting, yes, but there was far too good a chance Raven's psyche would overwhelm whatever being was inside without proper protection, effectively erasing their personality and supplanting it with a copy of her own. Or, worse, one of her Aspects and only that Aspect. One might think that Reason or Tired wouldn't be so bad... but she knew full well unfettered Reason was just asking for trouble. There was no emotion there to act as a check on what Reason wanted that way. It would be catastrophic, perhaps moreso than any other Aspect aside from Anger. Or, lately, Lust.

So preparations were made, rituals were performed, and finally, Starfire sat cross-legged in front of the tall mirror, her mind as relaxed as she could make it, but still hopefully on-guard. Protected by spells and wards and Raven's own abilities, as much as she could control them. Raven herself stood behind the Tamaranean princess, dressed only in her underthings. Typically, when visiting Nevermore, the less distraction there was for her the better.

Following that logic, the alien girl was completely nude, not having the same body modesty Raven had been brought up with, even if her demonic side urged her to simply get it over with. Not just yet though. Raven had to give everything one last check, just to make sure. She didn't want to take any chances with her best friend's life, after all. Not that she didn't think Starfire could handle herself. In her own way, she was as emotionally and mentally strong as anyone Raven had ever met. But at the same time, that strength could be brittle.

Satisfied at last, Raven stood tall and put one hand on Starfire's burnt-orange hair, "Ready, Star?"

Without moving anything but her mouth, the other young woman intoned, "I am ready, Friend Raven."

"Then let us begin," she replied quietly, "open your eyes, and look into the mirror of my soul."

Green flashed for a moment, then Starfire's eyes went as black as Raven's soul-self at the same instant Raven's own did. To an outside observer, perhaps through the camera feed both Cyborg and Robin found themselves watching with no small amount of nerves despite the girls' near or total nakedness, nothing else happened. There was no rustle of hair or cloth, no change in posture or demeanor. They both simply stood or sat as they had been, motionless except for autonomous functions.

Robin was the first to notice that neither were blinking. "It's done," he murmured, turning away after clicking the feed to private mode. "Nothing else to see. Monitor the audio, though. One might call out."

"Right," Cyborg muttered, and turned his attention back to other tasks. Bee had made frequent visits over the last couple of weeks, thankfully, but still, seeing his two female teammates like that was starting to get to him. He was almost glad the camera was turned off... even if he could watch it privately through his cybernetic mind's eye. But Robin was right, nothing was going to change. He had enough experience watching the footage of when Robin had gone in to know. There wouldn't be any change unless something went very wrong, or Raven was successful with... whatever she was doing. Magic was not his forte.

Nevermore was always different, every single time. Usually, these days, the changes were subtle, hard to notice if you didn't know what you were looking for. By and large, the layout stayed the same, though. One entered at the foyer, the surface area where her outermost, basic thoughts, the ones many people could hear when they 'heard themselves think', occurred. How those thoughts were displayed, visually, auditory, or otherwise, changed frequently, but there was almost always a pretty simple way to monitor it.

Often, thanks to her training, those surface thoughts were deliberately misleading, but that was neither here nor there at the moment. Raven knew her system, knew her 'code', and could read the accurate thoughts between the lines, so to speak.

After the foyer, there was often a security station of sorts, a mental trial such as the Forest of Forgotten Desire, or the Labyrinth of Lost Toys. Sometimes, there was even a 'boss monster' of sorts, such as a copy of Anger let loose from her cage.

Then the 'Command Center', where her primary Aspects, Brave, Reason, and Disgust, steered the proverbial ship that was Raven's conscious mind. After that, paths diverged into separate realms for each Aspect, each often with a trial of their own to enter them.

This time, Raven should have expected something different. But somehow, she did not. Thus, the Cambion was taken completely off-guard by what appeared.

She was in a cage. Starfire, in another about sixty feet away. It was hard to tell distance, though, because they were suspended by a single spiked, wicked-looking chain each that, judging by what she could see of Starfire's (her own being hidden by perspective) extended for many hundred feet up, up into darkness. Darkness which surrounded them, without echo or sense of shape or space. Just empty nothing, no floor, no scent, no clue as to what was really there except void.

"Oh, crap."