Fan Fiction ❯ Releasing Her Demons ❯ Chapter 20 ( Chapter 20 )

Releasing Her Demons

By: Jedi_Zea

Summary: Raven finally decides to join the other Titans in a game, but it's not a video game. She wants them to play Dungeons & Dragons and decides to share something about herself while doing so. PG-13

Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans, Dungeons and Dragons, any of the places I got my music from, or any other real things I may make reference to while writing this story. Also the only characters I own are Vincent, Rurik, Ivellos, T'klora, Sapphire, Arachne, Naryldor, and a few others so don't steal any of the characters, especially the ones people let me use but aren't mine.

 

CAMintmire: Actually yes I was planning to have that in this chapter. And don't worry if I no longer have fun writing I'll wrap the story up really quickly so I don't have an unfinished story laying somewhere. But I do really like the story, and am trying to decide if I want to make a sequel or not so I can start writing for it now.

 

Quickleaf: Thank you, I'm glad you think so highly of the story. Robin knows what's going on too, but he doesn't want to say in front of the other Titans for her sake. As for the next thing destroyed I'll think about it and try to make it a nice big explosion for you. Also where did you get the quote? I like it.

 

Nekuyahsa: Glad to hear of another RPGer out there that's reading my story. It just seemed like telling the Titans what was going to happen through something like that would be Raven's style. As for the spelling errors and mistakes, if you would be kind enough to point out specific ones and email them to me, at Jedi_zea@yahoo.com, I'll fix them. I'll also look through every chapter and try to find them myself. I would really appreciate the help. And yes I'm not too fond of Terra, but I needed her for another character, I'll try to make her a little nicer though in the coming chapters.

 

Chapter 20

 

“I shall go see if Friend Raven is alright?” Starfire asked while moving to the door. She was careful not to step too near Robin though. She didn't want to accidentally cause him to explode.

 

“Perhaps her saying Robin's name wasn't entirely a mistake,” Starfire muttered to herself as she flew to Raven's room. She barely had time to finish her sentence though, because she was going to her distraught friend's room as quickly as she could.

 

As soon as Star reached Raven's room she knocked loudly on the door. Although the door didn't fall down there were a few dents in it where Star's fist hit. “Friend Raven,” she called between each knock on the door.

 

“Go away,” came a voice through the door. Although it was definitely Raven's, it seemed to Starfire that something in her voice wasn't quite “Ravenesque”. She seemed almost sad, not the angry and sarcastic Titan everyone had become accustomed to.

 

“Please, I only wish to help,” Starfire called through the door. For a minute it didn't seem like her plea had any effect. However as soon as Star turned to walk away she heard the door swishing open.

 

“What do you want?” Raven asked in as even of a voice she could muster, which was still pretty shaky.

 

Starfire turned around and saw that Raven's normally calm eyes were red and watery, and noticed a small trail of liquid on the floor leading up to Raven's door. “Friend Raven, have you been crying?” asked the concerned redhead.

 

“Yes because I cry all the time,” Raven spat bitterly. Although it was true she had been crying, she couldn't admit it to Star. `Besides it's obvious she likes Robin too, it would just cause problems if I told her…' the dark girl thought gloomily.

 

“Was it because of your conversation with Robin earlier?” Star asked bluntly. “Do you like him?” Although neither of them could see it one of Raven's favorite pillows exploded into a flurry of feathers when Star asked her questions.

 

“What?!” Raven exclaimed. “That's ridiculous, of course I love Robin,” she said. When she realized that she had admitted her feelings she tried to backtrack, while stepping back into her room with a bright pink face. “I mean I don't like Robin. He's just a friend that's all.” She tried to quickly amend with no effect at all.

 

“I am happy for you,” Starfire smile cheerfully. She continued to look about the room, and although it was as creepy as normal she did notice that most of the large objects in the room were covered with blue tarps. The only things uncovered were her bookshelf, and a new painting that stood in the middle of the room. “Is that painting new?” she asked trying to avoid an uncomfortable conversation about her own feelings for Robin. “It is very nice,” she added.

 

“Yes the painting's new,” Raven said quietly. She didn't want Starfire to find out who made the painting; it would just cause her more embarrassment. “My room's going to be painted soon too, that's why there's all the tarps everywhere,” she said preventing the question Star was about to ask.

 

“Is it not customary for an artist to put their initials on the painting?” Starfire asked. She stepped forward to examine the painting and look for the artist's initials in the bottom right corner.

 

As soon as Star finished her sentence Raven's face started to light up. “That's right! It is,” she whispered too quietly for Starfire to hear. She went over and started to look at the painting beside her red-haired friend. “Find anything Star?” she asked eagerly, while scrutinizing another portion of the painting for any hint of a signature.

 

“I believe I have found an R,” Starfire said as she pointed at the very elaborate letter. The letter was so elaborate and so integrated into the painting it seemed like a miracle that Starfire found it at all. “But I can not find the other letter. Is it possible the artist goes only by one name?” she asked as Raven slowly pushed her way over to see where Starfire's finger was pointing.

 

Raven laughed a bitter, quiet laugh. `Of course he'd sign it with R, he wouldn't want me knowing who he really is,” she thought dryly. “I think you might be right Star, I don't see any other letters in there.” Raven concluded after staring at the painting for about five minutes.

 

“That's a shame. But I can't find any either,” Star agreed. “Still the painting is very,” she paused for a minute to find a word that wouldn't offend Raven. “You,” Starfire settled on. “It is very you, and it fits well within your room. If you remember the name of the painter would you please tell me? I would very much like to have him paint a portrait of me as well.” Star said with a cheerful smile.

 

“I never knew the name to begin with Star, that's why I wanted to find their initials,” Raven replied. “But if I do find it out I'll be sure to tell you,” she smiled warmly. “But will you please leave for a time, I need to meditate after what happened earlier.” Starfire smiled knowingly and nodded. She left the room swiftly and sliently, leaving Raven to her thoughts.

 

`Well I had better let Robin go now,' Raven decided, `Even though he will probably just end up dashing to my room,” she sighed instantly regretting her request to speak with Robin. Raven went to her door and locked it though. She went to search the painting a little more for another initial, and as she turned back to the painting the second letter popped out at her. It was right there in bold purple ink, almost separate from the painting.

 

`That was pretty good; he made one letter almost impossible to find and the other only visible from a distance,' Intelligence said to Raven. `Oh, I've also been sent to tell you that you can come to Nevermore again, but only to talk to Love.'

 

`Why would love need to talk to me?' Raven queried.

 

`You know why,' Intelligence replied. `It must have something to do with your little confession to Starfire a few minutes ago.' With that the emotion submerged back into her subconscious as quickly as it had appeared.

 

“Great,” Raven mumbled to the bookish emotion. “First I have something to find,” she said. `Love will have to wait a while,' she thought, and went over to her desk and sat down in front of her computer. She started it up, launched her Internet browser, and went to Google to start a search. Raven typed in “Gotham+City Trapeze+accident R. G.” and started the search.

 

As soon as she hit the search button she heard a knocking at her door. “Raven, you said we needed to talk,” called Robin through her door.

 

“I'm not ready yet Boy Wonder, I have to meditate then I've been summoned to Nevermore. Sometime tomorrow though, I promise,” Raven replied. Then she quietly clicked on the most promising looking link from her search. Robin grumbled something Raven couldn't quite understand walked away, his metal shoes clanging loudly on the floor of the tower.

 

Finally after she was sure Robin wasn't outside her door she read through the web page the link directed her to. It was a memorial dedicated to the Grayson family. Through her reading she found out that they died 12 years ago during a trapeze “accident” claming their lives. Their son had survived though, a five-year old child named Richard. There was a page dedicated to Richard and his foster father Bruce Wayne, head of the multi-billion dollar corporation Wayne Enterprises. It also had a sample of Richard's artwork from a local artists section of the Gotham Museum of Arts that looked nearly as dark as both paintings of Robin's that she had seen.

 

“This has to be him,” Raven whispered to herself. “So his name is Dick, it suits him.” Raven laughed with delight when she shut down her computer. “I can definitely see him being a Dick,” she smirked, a little disappointed that no one was there to hear her joke. `And now to see why I'm wanted in Nevermore,' Raven decided. She floated her mirror into her hand, looked in it and teleported into her mind, into Nevermore.

 

******(Slade's Hideout: Outside Jump City)******

 

Slade looked, again, into the dark portal. He was trying to discern some way he could get an advantage over Trigon and his brood after they had been summoned from the abyss. However, unknown to Slade, a pair of eyes were watching him even more critically from the other side of the magical portal. These eyes belonged to the general of the demon armies. The one Trigon had ordered summoned the very day Robin and Raven left for the party in Gotham City.

 

The demon hated humans. He hated everything about them, their stench, their appearance, and especially their technology. He had no use for their technology; he had his superior magics that could defeat anything their technology could throw at him. This human did seem more intelligent then your average human, and had superior strength and technology. The demon decided this didn't matter though, with all his magical powers he believed he could defeat this human with almost no effort at all. This human, Slade he believed they called him, was indeed exemplary for his species, however the demon didn't believe this made him superior in anyway.

 

He decided it wasn't to his advantage to reveal himself to the mortal just yet. But he did know, the mortal he was watching was not one to be trifled with, not without knowing more about him at least. After all if the demon's master trusted this human the demon decided he should hold him in great contempt, if for no other reason then to protect his own position, at least until he was ready to kill Trigon and claim his throne. After that disposing of this human would be an easy thing.

 

So with a smirk and a disapproving glance back to the portal, the demon general walked slowly away deciding what torture to inflict on the mortal when he inevitably betrayed the general's master.