FicWad

Chapter Eight: Prisoner of Hatred

Author's Note: /This chapter is very intense, making this a stronger PG-13. Not going to ever be changed to R, you've been warned about the intensity of this chappie. Read at your own risk./

Raven stared up at Skull silently, not saying a word. John Thomson smirked. "So you know who I am. Who told you?"

"My husband Garfield Logan," she replied. She continued staring at him through the darkness.

"Changeling told you, eh?"

"My husband is not Changeling! Changeling is dead! My husband is Garfield Logan!"

Skull stepped into the light. Angel got a first glimpse of her captor. He was young, in his late teens to early twenties. He was about Gar's height and had dark hair and dark eyes. He seemed to be looking at her, taking her figure in. She glared daggers at him as the smirk on his face became bigger.

"He just had to have you, didn't he?" He asked, gesturing to her swollen stomach. Angel glared at him, fury filling her emotions. She wanted to strangle him, but she didn't want to give away her identity as Raven yet. She wanted to know what he wanted with her, and why he'd brought her here.

"I love the man I married," she spat back angrily.

"What of this 'man' you married, hmm? Do you really know him?" Skull smirked again. "Does he really love you? I know your 'husband' very well. I used to work with him."

"I know that. So why bring up the past? Changeling's dead."

"Well, your 'husband' tried to murder me. Did he tell you that?" Skull spat out angrily.

"I saw that myself. I know who he was and what he's done. And I love him just the same," Angel Logan glared and strained at her chains. She knew she could use her powers. But if she was hurt what could she do for her unborn son? She had to keep the guise of being a normal person for awhile. When the time came she would reek havoc on this place as she had almost a year ago before, when she had come there to destroy Changeling. There she discovered the truth about who he was.

"Well Angel Logan, this 'husband' of yours is nothing but an animal. I assume you've never heard of his Man-Beast have you? She said nothing, she just continued glaring. She'd seen it before. Though he never came out unless Gar was in a complete, uncontrollable rage, then his Man Beast would emerge in fury, destroying all in his path. But that didn't happen often.

When he referred to Garfield Logan as Changeling, he was talking about her husband's dark alter ego whose physical appearance was hideously ugly. He had had scars and tattoos but when his two personalities had separated, Gar had retained his normal appearance.

Skull smirked. "Did I hit a nerve Angel? Anyway, he never really 'loved' you. He just wanted to bed you. So you see your feelings are a complete waste of time."

"Shut up! You know nothing of love," Angel spat. "You don't know what it does to people."

"Oh, I know something of it," Skull chuckled. "I know that his 'feelings' for you will eventually lead him here. And when he gets here he will see what his 'love' has done to you." His face came deathly close to hers. Staring into his eyes, all she could see was a blind, relentless hate. One that wouldn't be sated by 'Changeling's' death, he wanted him to suffer first before he died; and if couldn't make him suffer, she would suffer for him. He wanted to make her suffer as well.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, unafraid of him. When she had seen him before, he was a cowardly weakling who had murdered her friend in pure panic. She saw something in his eyes and realized that hate had made him a cunning adversary. She knew what he was going to say.

"I want to see you suffer. Do you believe that I can make you suffer?" His glare was very unintimidating to Angel who didn't say a word. Silence was her best weapon.

"If you rape me, he'll kill you."

"Rape you? That would be quite useless, especially since he's had you already." He sneered. "No, I can make you suffer; you'll suffer so much that you'll wish you were dead; you and that /thing /inside of you." Skull removed a taser from his belt. Angel closed her eyes, preparing for the worst. She used her powers to surround and protect her baby. She was ready for him.

Skull pushed the button as Angel gritted her teeth against the pain. The electric volts surged through her body, causing her to writhe against her chains. The metal shackles conducted the electricity, sending it pouring back through her body.

Releasing the button, Skull glowered at her, "Scream for me!" He spat in her face and began the torture again. Angel was barely able to concentrate on keeping her son inside her womb safe from the volts of electricity coursing through her body. Sweat poured down her face as she clenched her teeth.

Skull, seeing her strength and resolve against the pain, he flew into a fury. He increased the intensity of the taser. Severe pain coursed through her, causing her body to heave forward against the chains. Still, she refused to scream. Still he increased the taser's voltage until the pain was so great that Angel Anderson Logan, Raven screamed in agony. It ripped out of her throat, echoing through her cell, reverberating off the walls. The guards outside the doorway heard it and shuddered in fear. They had no idea what was going on in there. It echoed through the entire building, causing all inside to wonder what had caused it.

John Thomson, Skull sneered at her, satisfied by her reaction. He stopped and turned off the taser, after what had seemed like hours, much to her relief. Skull turned to leave, "Rest yourself; it will be a lot worse for you tomorrow," he looked back at her one more time, "Raven."

Angel Logan couldn't say anything to him; she was too weak to respond. Cackling hideously, he strode out of the room, leaving Raven to rest her pain filled body against her shackles as much as she could lean against it. She concentrated, causing her black aura to surround her body, healing it slowly. She did it for long hours until a man came in with a plate of meager food. Obviously, he didn't want her to die. He wanted her to regain her strength so he could make her suffer again. Unshackling the chains from the wall, the man watched as she collapsed onto the ground, unable to move or speak.

She ate the meager food slowly. It was bland and tasteless. Angel nearly gagged and threw up, but forced herself to swallow it. She made herself eat it, not for her sake, but for her son's sake. Too stiff to walk, she crawled over to the cold, hard cot in the corner of the cell, she fell asleep. She quietly began to prepare herself for what lay ahead the next day. She wondered how he knew who she was, but it didn't matter right now. He said it was going to be worse; she would be prepared for it.

"So you say Thomson stole your wife away?" Nightwing asked. "Are you sure it was him?"

"Yes," Beast Boy answered. "He's the only man I know who'd hate me enough to kidnap my wife."

"How would he know about her? Does she know she's Raven?" Nightwing asked.

"I don't know," replied Beast Boy. "But we have to find her. I don't want anything to happen to her."

"We'll find her, B.B., I promise," Cyborg put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I promise."

"We need to split up, time's wasting," Red X said quietly. Nightwing nodded at him.

"Beast Boy, you're coming with me. Cyborg, you go with Starfire and Red X." Nightwing gave his friend a hard look. /Watch him. /Cyborg understood, and nodded in agreement.

Beast Boy morphed into a bloodhound and began sniffing around the room. "I've found her scent!" he exclaimed. Nightwing and Beast Boy took off running down the hallway out to the parking lot.

"Come on, we'll comb the alleyway outside," Red X suggested. Cyborg and Starfire nodded in agreement and they walked outside. Cyborg spotted the tire tracks leading away from the café. He frowned. Kneeling down, he examined them closely with his cyperkinetic eye.

"Looks like they were in a hurry to get out of here," he murmured. He stood to his feet. "I'm going to see how far these go." He began walking away, he turned to Red X, "Don't try anything funny."

"Don't you trust me?" Red X asked, irritated. Cyborg was getting too suspicious. He would have to get rid of him soon; he was starting to catch onto him. Saying nothing, Cyborg stomped off, following the tire track, seeing where they went.

Starfire turned to Red X. "What did he mean by that?" she asked. She didn't like the way it sounded.

"Oh, it's nothing. I've been waiting for this time to come." Red X turned to Starfire. His stare beneath his mask was unnerving. Starfire felt nervous underneath his gaze. She felt afraid, but she wouldn't show it.

"What are you talking about?" Starfire asked. Red X moved closer to her, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder.

"I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. I've wanted to give you something." Red X moved around so that he was directly in front of her. Starfire stepped back a bit. He was invading her private space, and he was much too close for comfort.

"What is that?" Starfire saw something in the eyes behind his masked face. She realized it was lust and desire. The shock of it revolted her. That was why he'd wanted to her to go with him alone, so he could seduce her, or worse, rape her.

"This," Red X said, pulling her close and slamming his mouth on hers before she had a chance to scream, she was shocked at his audacity. He pulled away, grinning wickedly at her. "That wasn't so bad was it?" he asked suggestively.

"Get your hands off me!" Starfire shouted at him.

Red X just leered at her. "Come on, Kori-"

"You dare to force yourself at me and then you call me by my name!" Starfire was filled with fury. "I am stronger than I look, so stay away from me!"

"I'd like to see that," Red X sneered. "I can easily overpower you, and I'll do to you whatever I want with you!" Snarling, he grabbed her arms, attempting to pull Starfire against him. But Starfire was indeed, stronger than she looked for she unexpectedly threw him over her back, sending him sprawling into a nearby trash bin. Cyborg came running back to them, panting he took a look at the situation.

"What's going on?" he asked, staring at Red X, who was struggling to his feet, glaring at Starfire.

"He tried to kiss me!" Starfire roared in fury.

"You both are so foolish!" Red X smirked. "Do you think I would join your pathetic little group just because I want to help you? No, I joined because I get what I want." He leered at Starfire. "And I'll get what I want. No matter what it takes," he gestured a strange hand signal. Suddenly, Iron Fist thugs appeared surrounding Starfire and Cyborg.

"You're in league with the Iron Fist, aren't you?" Cyborg shouted. "You had Skull kidnap Raven!" This made Starfire furious. Someone they had trusted had actually betrayed them. Jut like Terra.

Standing in front of Red X, Starfire seethed. "Tell us where Raven is!" she demanded.

"I'm hardly in a position to tell you anything," Red X smirked. "Attack them!" he ordered the thugs. They charged Cyborg and Starfire. Starfire, fueled by her righteous fury, ignored the thugs and charged straight at Red X. Grabbing an X-a-Rang, Red X threw it at her, she dodge, but it succeeded in grazing her shoulder, causing her to wince in pain.

She slammed her fists into his face and stomach. She quickly whirled around fast, kicking him hard. He stepped back at the unexpected fury of the attack. Meanwhile, Cyborg blasted the Iron Fist thugs with his sonic cannon. Smashing his fist into a thug's face, he knocked him unconscious as he kicked another. He shot a nearby thug as he tried to fire a gun on Starfire, who relentlessly blasted Red X with an unbelievable amount of Starbolts. Red X and the thugs began a hasty retreat. Cyborg came behind Starfire.

"Kori, you okay?" he asked.

"We have to get back to Beast Boy and Nightwing—Ah!" Starfire screamed in unexpected pain, obviously, the thug with the gun had good aim. The thug's bullet had hit her in the side. She leaned on Cyborg, doubled over in pain. "Vic, we have to tell the others about Red X. Who knows what he will have Skull do to Raven when he meets him."

"How will we know how to find him?"

"The Titans' communicator, Red X still has it." Starfire gasped. "It has a tracking device."

"Come on, let's go back." Cyborg picked her up, carrying her gently. Starfire kept herself awake until Cyborg arrived at Titans Tower. Nightwing was waiting for them. "We didn't find anything-"

Nightwing stared in shocked horror. He ran up to Starfire and Cyborg.

"What happened?" he demanded. He looked at Starfire concerned. "Is it bad?"

"Red X has betrayed us," Cyborg said somberly.

"I knew he was up to no good!" Nightwing said angrily. "What did he do?"

"He tried to rape Starfire. She threw him off and then Red X ordered his thugs to attack us."

"So he's in league with the Iron Fist?" Nightwing asked. Starfire nodded.

"So he kidnapped Raven," Beast Boy said angrily. "We have to find her!"

"We can track him. He still has his communicator," Cyborg said. "We have to hurry, we don't know what he'll have Skull do to Raven."

"If he hurt her I'll rip him to pieces," Beast Boy promised.

"What about Star?" Cyborg asked.

"I'll stay with her," Nightwing said.

"No. We need you to help us take him down. I'll stay with her," Cyborg volunteered.

"No. I shall go with you. I just need a few bandages and I'll be fine." Starfire winced.

"Are you sure?" Nightwing demanded. "I don't want you to get more hurt than you are already."

"Don't worry Nightwing. I...will...be...fine." Star grit her teeth.

Nightwing quickly bandaged her gunshot wound. "Are you sure you want to come?"

"Yes. Raven depends on us. We will not fail her."

"Alright. Let's go." Nightwing and the others took the T-Car down to where Beast Boy said that he Iron Fist was located. They had to find Raven as fast as they could. They didn't know what shape she was in and what shape she would be in awhen they found her.