32 Productions Presents…

“Meeting the Parents”

Chapter Four

Outside Titan Tower

Argent landed, shaking her head. She wanted her own tower. Well, not hers specifically, but she wanted a tower to call home. Approaching the front door, she racked her brain for a second before remembering the pass code and putting it into the keypad. The door slid open and she went inside. Starfire was sitting at the couch, staring at the television intently. Argent blanched at what she was watching. It was one of those operating shows.

Starfire: (muttering) So this is the “liver” humans speak of…

Her kind had no liver. She was pretty sure that, judging from descriptions, it was her fifth stomach that did those duties as well as digest food. …well, YOU explain how she can have so many organs and not be a bloated mess! I say that she has multi-purpose organs! Argent leaned over the couch.

Argent: Ya watch the most disturbing things, Star.

…yeah, that’s the best I can do to illustrate that she has a New Zealand accent. It’s not very good, is it? Wish I knew some New Zealand type terms, but the best I got is “bullocks”, “mate”, and “love”. …and I’m not even sure that’s correct for the region.

Starfire: Oh! Argent, I did not hear you come in.

Argent: I noticed. Ya seemed a bit caught up in your programs. Shade around?

Starfire: I am afraid he has already departed with Raven.

Argent clenched her fist. Raven. Raven, Raven, Raven. Always with Raven. Argent couldn’t STAND that. Argent had a thing for the dark and mysterious type, hence why she liked Shade. He was mysterious and you can’t get much darker then using shadows as weapons. So, naturally, she took a shining to Shade and attempted to convince him to go out with her. She wouldn’t call it LOVE, per say, but she wouldn’t mind giving it a go. Argent took the direct approach with guys, not just flirting until they ask HER out. She thought that was part of her “charm”. Unfortunately…

FLASHBACK: Hallway

Argent leaned on the wall next to Shade, giving him her best smile.

Argent: So, what do ya say? Fancy going out for a while?

Shade rubbed the back of his neck, nervously. Argent was attractive to be sure, but…

Shade: I can’t, Argent. I’m with Raven.

Argent looked shocked.

Argent: Come again? The girl smacked you with her book not two hours ago!

Shade: Yeah, she does that.

Argent was stunned. Why would Shade date a girl that struck him with a book? That was a heavy looking book! Why did all of Raven’s books have to be bigger then her own head?

Argent: Why would you put up with that?

Shade: You wouldn’t understand.

Argent: …what, you into that sort of thing? That whole “(whip crack whip crack) call me queen” sort of thing?

Shade shuddered and shook his head.

Shade: Hell no.

Argent: Then why…?

And that was when Raven showed up. Apparently she had overheard the whole exchange and was in Argent’s face in seconds.

Raven: He said NO. Let it drop.

Argent: Why the hell should I? You don’t deserve him if you’re gonna hit him like that!

Raven: Don’t you DARE judge me.

Argent: Why, you…

Raven grabbed Shade’s arm.

Raven: We’re leaving. Now.

Shade: Right, right. Later Argent.

Argent shook with anger as Raven led him off.

END FLASHBACK

It wasn’t right. Shade deserved better then some crazy bitch what hit him all the time. Robin was also dark and mysterious, but at least Starfire was good to him. …she could also break Argent in half if she made a move, so he was out of the question. Besides, it wasn’t just for her sake anymore. Argent felt she HAD to get that harpy’s talons out of Shade or something bad might happen to the guy. Sighing, Argent headed for her room.

Gotham City: Church of the White Cloak

Starfire struggled against her bindings, thinking back to how this happened. The e-mail had come earlier that day. Richard had found what he had been searching for. A device that, when used, could make the subject very suggestible. He was going to leave a way in open, allowing Batman and Starfire inside. Once night had fallen, the pair slipped into the building. It didn’t take long for them to fall right into a trap. Starfire was surprised at how…UN-surprised Batman was. In any case, they found themselves surrounded by followers. It was a huge mob! Countless! The pair tried to fight them back, but one of them managed to inject Starfire with a heavy sedative. Even now, she was still trying to snap out of the effects. She assumed that Batman had been overwhelmed. It was a possibility. They were crazed fighters…madmen. So now, there they were, dangling over a vat of disturbing looking red fluid. A woman stepped out of the crowd around them.

Woman: Rise, your most holiness…rise BROTHER BLOOD!

Starfire’s eyes widened. Brother Blood?! Something rose from the vat, covered in the red fluid…which now Starfire could safely assume was in fact, blood. Somehow, the white cloak he was wearing didn’t get any of the fluid on it…and he was submerged! Wait a second…

Starfire: Who are you? You are not Brother Blood…

Unless Brother Blood somehow regressed in age by about forty years, this was not Brother Blood. He looked younger then she was!

Brother Blood: Oh, you mean my father. I stabbed him in the chest and removed what passed for his heart a couple of months ago.

Starfire: WH…WHAT?!

Brother Blood: That’s how it works. The title of Brother Blood comes with varying powers, including near eternal life…but it carries the curse that makes the son stab the father in the heart, passing the title.

Starfire: H…how barbaric…

Woman: Silence! Do not question the book of Blood!

Starfire: The…book of Blood?

Brother Blood shrugged, wiping red fluid from his face.

Brother Blood: The whole “Church of the White Cloak” is just a temporary alias. After my father foolishly attempted to take over the world by being a teacher to super villains, our ability to call ourselves “The Church of Blood” was hampered.

Now, Mother, if you would kindly call the newest member of our congregation forward, we can begin the sacrifice.

It always had to be a sacrifice, didn’t it? Well…HOLY CRAP! Richard…RICHARD of all people stepped forward, staring at them as if he had no idea who they were.

Brother Blood: It was thanks to this one that we knew you were coming. And now…he will be the one to send you into the Pit of Blood.

He reached for the lever that would drop the thing they were bound to into the pit.

Batman: Trapeze.

An odd thing to say, but the effect was immediate. Instead of the lever, Richard hit a button that freed them. Starfire grabbed Batman and helped him to the ground.

Brother Blood: Wh…but how?! The conditioning was flawless!

Batman: I couldn’t allow him to join you with intimate knowledge about us in case he was compromised like he was. So I made sure he no longer HAD that knowledge through hypnotism. I simply used a trigger word to erase the implant.

Now completely unprepared, the Church of Blood couldn’t beat them. Brother Blood clenched his fists as his followers failed him.

Brother Blood: This changes nothing. We’ve still got all of Gotham’s underworld under our control and you’ve got no way to prove it.

Batman: Wrong. While we were allowing you to capture us, another person snuck into your church and hacked into your computer. Everyone in Gotham PD is going to get a very interesting bit of e-mail.

Starfire: …allowing?!

Blood growled in rage and leapt at them. Starfire caught him.

Starfire: Be calm, young one. This battle is…OW!

Starfire cried out as the teenage high priest bit into her arm with sharp canines. He slugged her, leaving her dazed.

Brother Blood: Father had mind controlling powers…I, however, gain power through blood. Now…how do you…?

Blood growled in annoyance. Yes, he HAD the powers…but he didn’t know how to ACTIVATE them. Completely unprepared, a solid punch from Batman brought him down. The Church of the White Cloak was officially no longer welcome in Gotham City.

Azarath: Arella’s house

Arella had seen enough. She had studied Shade closely and had made up her mind.

Arella: Shade, may I speak to you outside in private?

Shade: Uh…sure, Arella.

Raven frowned as she watched her mother lead him out of the house. Creeping over, she hid near the window to listen to them.

Arella: …I’ll be frank, Shade. I want you to stay away from my daughter.

Raven was stunned. Shade, equally so, if not more.

Arella: You’re a brute, Shade. Selfish, irritating, and uncouth. You talk with your mouthful, you speak crudely and swear constantly. You’re angry, violent, and you dress like a hood on the streets. Raven deserves better. I want you to stay away.

Releasing the breath she didn’t even know she was holding, Raven was about to rip the door off its hinges and give her nosy mother a piece of her mind when Shade spoke up.

Shade: You know…Raven’s very lucky to have a mother like you. I mean, mine tried to kill me when I was three years old and abused me from four until I left around age twelve. That said…you have no damn right to speak to me that way.

Raven’s jaw dropped.

Shade: Selfish? You call me selfish? I came here today. You might think that’s no big deal, but given that my mother beat me with a metal rod I’m actually TERRIFIED of meeting people’s mothers. When I first met you, I didn’t just hide behind Raven because you startled me. I did it because you’re a mother. I quickly realized you’re not like mine, but that doesn’t mean I’m comfortable around you. I forced myself to come here because Raven wanted me to meet you. She felt it was important and I trusted her judgment. Irritating. Yeah, some times I am. I’m well aware of my lack of social skills. But I’ve got a green friend who tells bad jokes, a big metal guy who seems to have trouble controlling the volume of his voice, a cheerful girl who gives the most painful hugs, an obsessive guy in a mask, and a skinny tomboy who eats everything in the tower living with me. We’re ALL pretty irritating, and we’re all friends. You don’t know me well enough to judge whether I’m irritating most of the time or just now and then. Uncouth…what makes me uncouth? My swearing? Like I said, I’m a god damn ABUSE VICTIM. I’m entitled to bad words now and then. And I could go on, but the most important thing to realize here is I love your daughter and she loves me. We’ve been inside each others HEADS. We know the weird things that go on inside each other, we acknowledge them and accept them. She’s not under any delusions about who and what I am and I’m not putting any false airs up around her. If you don’t like us together, well…that’s too damn bad. You know why? Because when she’s with me, Raven SMILES.

Raven slumped against the wall, touched. His way of doing it was a bit harsh…but he stuck up for their relationship instead of Raven having to convince him that her mother was wrong. Shade often expressed doubts that they belonged together…stating that he didn’t understand how he managed to earn her affections. …and he stuck up for it. To her shock, Raven heard her mother laugh.

Arella: Very good. Very good, Shade. Raven, come out here please.

Swallowing, Raven stood up and came outside.

Arella: I trust you heard that.

Raven: Yes, and I…

Arella: You both have my blessing.

…buh?

Shade: Huh wha who wha?

Raven: What he said.

Arella: I could see a lot of emotional insecurities in you, Shade. While Raven did argue with you a lot, I could see a glow in her I never noticed while she was here. That said, I needed to make sure that one of the things you were insecure about wasn’t how you felt about Raven. Though…that was a bit harsh.

Shade rubbed the back of his head.

Shade: Heh…well…I was a little angry…
Arella: That’s alright. As for you, Raven…try and ease up on him a little. He IS trying…as inept as he seems.

Shade: H…hey, come on now, don’t gang up on me.

Raven: I will, Mother. …thank you. Okay, Shade…let’s go home.

Arella smiled as she watched them go. Yes, he’d do just fine… Her smile fell. But if he laid one hand on her before marriage, he was going to be skinned alive!

Titan Tower: Raven’s Room

The pair reappeared and Raven slouched over, panting. Shade helped her up.

Shade: You okay?

Raven: Y…yeah…just…tired.

Shade sighed and shook his head. Confused, Raven tilted her own.

Raven: What?

Shade: Your mom is weird.

Raven: What? Why is she weird?

Shade: Do you know how pissed I was? Your mom freaked me out, Raven!

Shrugging, Raven regained her balance.

Raven: She was just looking out for me.

Shade: By being weird.

Raven: If need be, I suppose.

Grumbling, Shade headed out the door. Raven sat on her bed and relaxed a moment before…

Argent: Oi, Shade! How are ya, love?

Raven almost broke her own door down.

Raven: Hello, Argent.

Argent gave her a look that spoke volumes. Raven returned one several decibels louder.

Shade: Um…I’m fine. You?

Argent: (grit teeth) I WAS doing just aces not three seconds ago.

Shade: Yeeeaaah…I’m just gonna…leave now before something unpleasant takes place.

Shade disappeared. Argent glowered at Raven.

Argent: So, what is it? Mind control?

Raven: You just can’t handle the fact he loves me.

Argent: And you think he doesn’t look at me? Do you know how many times I almost kissed him?

For a moment Raven looked stunned before shaking it off and smirking.

Raven: “Almost” only matters in horseshoes, Argent.

Argent: Screw you. One of these days he’s going to see you for what you are and dump your ass.

Raven: Keep telling yourself that.

The two glared a moment longer.

Argent: Bitch.

Raven: Skank.

Turning up their noses, the two girls turned and walked away.

Plane Ride back to Jump

The visit was over, Blood was in jail (for the moment, but it was likely that the Church of Blood could afford some damn good lawyers, not to mention he was only thirteen years old), and now it was time to go. Bruce bid them both good bye. It was almost touching…almost. Starfire still wasn’t sure if she liked the man. He seemed to be a bit of an asshole. …but he knew what he was doing and if there was no Batman, there would be no Robin. That alone made his presence…tolerable. As for his opinion of her…it didn’t seem to change at all. But that was fine. Starfire didn’t care what he thought. Once again under the guise of Kori Anders, Kori turned to Richard.

Kori: One thing I still do not understand. Who retrieved the information needed to close down the rehabilitation program?

Richard: Oh, that was Babs. She…

…yuh oh.

Kori: …Richard? Darling? Beloved of mine?

Richard: …yes, Kori?

Kori: Who the f is “Babs” and how long have you known her?

…eeeeeeeh…

Richard: Heh…w….well, you see…

And for Richard’s sake, we shall end here.

THE END