Fan Fiction ❯ Omni Per Nox ❯ Tome Four: Magnopere Egeovit Explanati ( Chapter 4 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Greatly Needed Explanations

When Raven next awoke, it was to the sound of voices. She felt that her eyes would open if she made them, but for some odd reason, she was curious to hear what was being said, so she let them remain closed.

"You're sure she's not still in a coma?"

"Of course I'm sure, look at the equipment!"

"Friends, please be quiet. Raven needs to rest so that she may heal quickly."

Starfire could be heard bustling about the room, making sure everything was in order for the ashen-skinned magus.

"Man, Star, you're acting like a mother hen with an over-due egg, can't wait to see how having real kids'll make you act," Beast Boy commented.

"Yeah," Cyborg added, "Who knows when that'll happen, huh?" He nudged Robin in the ribs, adding, "Eh, Boy Wonder? Heh-heh!:

"Hey! Ray just moved," Beast Boy exclaimed, having seen her eye muscles twitch. He hopped up on the bed, turning into a ferret and swishing his tail under her nose.

The green ferret had just enough time to squeak in surprise before an aura of black energy surrounded it and tossed it away, disturbing the sheets.

"Ray, you up?" Cyborg asked, stepping forwards.

'Not just yet,' Raven thought, 'This is kinda fun.'

"Dude! That's so not cool! She beats me up verbally when she's awake and physically when she's asleep! The hell's up with that?!" Beast Boy complained indignantly.

"Shh!" Starfire hissed, "I told you to be quiet!" She glared at Beast Boy for a moment, then leaned over Raven to fix the sheets. As she did so she muttered about the loudness of Earth boys.

As she fumbled with the blankets, she suddenly shivered. 'Where is this chill comming from,' she wondered. As it so happened, Raven was discreetly blowing on her neck out of an odd, impulsive desire to see the redhead's reaction. Star shivered again before she pulled back, but when she did, she was met half-way with two deeply violet eyes.

Raven was wide awake, and now looked it, much to the suprise of the other Titans.

"What are you all doing in my room?" Was the first thing she said, and the last before she was enveloped in a mass of people as her friends crowded in to talk, more at her than to her.

"Friend Raven! You are awake! Glorious! I knew you would be well soon!"

"Dude! Raven! Are you ok? That thing really got you, ya know? I mean, it was all like "Raawr!" and stuff!"

"BB! Shut up about that! Raye, you feelin' better?"

Robin, to his credit, was able to remain calm as the other three nearly smothered their injured friend in their excitement. "Guys! Calm down before you make her pass out again," he interjected when her was sure the racket they were making was probably keeping the Titans East awake.

"Thanks," Raven said as the mob receeded.

"No problem," Robin replied, "The last thing we need is for you to suffocate. Especially just after you've recovered.
Not to be insensitive, but what was that... thing? I've never seen anything like it. Or what it did to that dog..." At this, everyone but Raven looked shaken by the mere thought.

She took a deep breath and began to explain as well as she could, "That creature is a sort of "pet" for less social mages. It's tecnically the reanimated corpe of a were-rat, but sometimes the mage who reanimated it will end up dead, releasing it to infect other living members of it's own species-"

"You mean like the T-Virus in Resident Evil?" Beast Boy interjected.

Raven glared at him for interrupting, but acquiesced, being a closet-fan of the series herself, "Close enough. That thing we fought was under someone's controll. Otherwise it couldn't have gotten here; they're even less intelegent that you, Beast Boy, and they can't comprehend the use of magic whatsoever. They are extremely resilient, you can't hurt them without magic, and the only way to kill one is to dismember it and burn each part to ashes seperately; and even then, a powerful enough mage could revive it. There's something that I'm sure I'm forgetting, something important..." Raven grimmaced as her back began to hurt again.

"Fear not, Raven, you sent the breature away before it... slashed you. The threat is gone, so you should relax and rest," Starfire said placatinly, sitting down on the bed and smiling.

The others nodded their agreement, and Raven settled her head back down on the pillow, "giving in to their demands."

"Get better quick, Ray."

"See ya, Raven."

"You're alright, Raven?" Getting a nod from her, Robin turned his attention to the other female, "Starfire, you should get some rest too."

At this, Starfire glared at him and sternly said, "Robin, we have had this discussion before. I should have been able to save Raven from this pain, I was close enough to reach out and touch her. I did not, so I shall watch over her untill she is well, and nothing you say will change my mind."

Robin looked more concerned than angry, but he didn't move from the spot. "Star, you should really-" He was cut off mid sentence by Raven's door sliding shut within an inch of his face. "What the hell? How did I get out here? Oh well," he sighed and walked off to find the guys.
~ ~ ~

Starfire jumped as the door snapped shut and Robin seemed to vanish. She turned to Raven, who wore a defiant expression, not bothering to deny her guilt in the matter. She sighed and said, "Raven, that was not very nice of you. Even though it was rather helpful, he is right."

Raven snorted derisively, "I don't care. He was in my room and he was annoying me; he's lucky I let him stay in the tower."

Starfire giggled at Raven's remark, something which Raven was inexplicably happy to hear.

"So, how long was I out for? It can't have been less that two days, or Boy-Wonder there wouldn't be so concerned just yet." Raven eased herself down into the soft comfort of her bed.

Starfire had a strange expression on her face as she slowly replied, "you were unconscious for twelve days, today was the thirteenth day. I refused to give up hope, even after the others wished to leave you to the care of those machienes of theirs."

"WHAT?!" Raven shouted, furious, "You mean to tell me that you've been in the same spot for two weeks, not even changing your clothes, just to watch over me?
I'll kill them! Those stupid boys should have drugged you or something! Why in the Nine Hells would you put yourself through that?" Raven was red in the face from all her yelling and she tried to get up to force Starfire to go rest. The sudden movement caused something to tear, and she saw spots as pain exploded in her back, causing her to fall into the darkness of unconsciousness.
~ ~ ~

Starfire had to admit that Raven's anger was not unexpected, but she certainly wasn't expecting Raven to faint again.

"Raven!" She cried out as her charge fell back, leaping up to do what she could. When she was certain that Raven hadn't done any real damage, Starfire settled herself onto the stool she had brought into the room from the kitchen just over a week ago.

She had been avoiding consideration of Raven's nonchalant attitude twords the creature they had fought, but the fact that she had seemed more curious than sickened by the creature's actions had Starfire unnerved.

'What horrors have you witnessed to be indifferent to such a thing, my dear friend?'

~end chapter~

A.N.:
Ditto the disclaimer on Resident Evil. Please review and/or e-mail me with feedback at: eqfan0013@hotmail.com

Oh, and a chibi TT plushie of each of the Titans to Quickleaf, the ONLY ONE of you who even bothered to guess at the Were-rat thing... or review at all for that matter... C'mon people, you can't expect me to make any changes if I don't know what you think of the story! ~sigh~