Back to Reality, or something like it

The two captives pretended pathetically that they weren't looking at one another. It failed. Every time Garlo saw her eyes flutter toward him, even for an instant, he felt a low rumbling purr from the back of his mind. When Raven saw the emerald eyes flicker in her direction, she felt her heart falter for an instant. The silence had remained since the darker version of herself had left them alone. She had slowly come to shortly after, though it wasn't as though she had completely lost control, not like she had times before. It was more like she had given in to something that she really wanted to do, giving into a temptation that she hadn't even known was there. Even if she had let Rage take control, it would have ended similarly if not identical. It was almost humorous, her inner anger was seemingly jealous of what it would have turned her into. As if in all it's plotting for domination, it had never considered what would become of itself.

She didn't remember what had happened right before her outburst, though she remembered what she had said. Though her mind was wandering, her eyes were not anymore. For the past several seconds, they had been staring, violet on green. She slowly began to wonder about him, about what would have happened here, in this world, or even in her own had things been different, had they been different. If she wasn't part demon, if she didn't have her powers, would he ever have even looked at her, would he have cared for her, would he have loved her. God above she wished he would.

Garlo swallowed a thick lump that suddenly formed in his throat. There was something behind her eyes, beyond the anger that was so evident before, beyond the stress that was covering her face. She looked helpless, not because she was chained to the wall, but because of something else. She needed something, it wasn't physical, or maybe it was. To be kissed, to be held, to know someone was there, who needed her, who wanted her, she needed to be loved and to love. Did the fact that she was staring at him have something to do with it, or was it nothing. He hoped it meant something.

He had felt it for the last two days, since he had seen her crying, it was similar to what he saw in her eyes. He hadn't realized it till this moment, but he was in love with her. There was no other explanation. He knew she got under his skin, knew that he hated it, and liked it at the same time, that he wanted to be around her and as far away as much as possible. No, no other explanation. He could never admit it though. Sure he had said it before, but she hadn't heard, and no one else had either. He could tell her now, it wasn't like he had anything to lose, but he knew he wouldn't. It was an emotion, and hiding his emotions was one of many reasons that he wore the mask.

He stared at her, she was so lovely, so innocent looking in a mature kind of way. Her wings still hadn't receded, and he mused that she almost looked like an...... He laughed aloud.

Raven's head jerked slightly at the sound, the silence had left them both in their worlds of thought and she was suddenly pulled out of it and back to reality. The man in the metal mask, hanging across from her was laughing, his entire body shaking lightly. "What's so funny?" She didn't see anything humorous about the situation and the fact that she was left out of whatever joke he was thinking of began to irritate her thoroughly.

Garlo shook his head slightly, then looked directly into her eyes. "You, you almost look like some sort of dark angel." She stared at him for an instant until he elaborated, "The wings, just make you look so....heavenly."

The look of utter confusion on her face made him laugh even more. She muttered to herself, "Wings?" Turning her head to the left, she glanced over her shoulder, expecting some kind of design on the wall. Her nose brushed against a black feather as her eyes went wide. Jaw agape, she couldn't help but scream. "HOLY SHIT, I HAVE WINGS!!"

Biting his lip, Garlo suppressed his new fit of laughter. "So, I suppose you have never had them pop out on you before?" She barely shook her head, but didn't take her eyes from her new appendages. "Can you move them?"

Raven looked at him for a moment, then turned her attention back to her wings. First she tried rolling her shoulder, which made the object move, but not significantly. Next she attempted flexing her back, this only thrust her breasts forward and got the man across the rooms attention, nothing with the wing. Closing her eyes, she stretched every bone in her body, feeling for any new muscles and where they were attached. With wings spread, she concentrated on those tendons, opening her eyes as they flapped up and down slowly. still concentrating, she wrapped them around herself until they intersected across her stomach, once again putting her breasts on display inadvertently.

Garlo suddenly growled, getting her attention. "Stop that."

A new look of confusion, "Why? I just figured out how to use them." She looked down at herself, and literally buried herself face first into her own chest. So intent on learning how one part of her body worked, she hadn't paid any attention to the rest of herself. Smiling innocently she looked up. "Oh, sorry. Guess I already knew how to use those." Weird, that almost sounded like a joke Beast Boy would have made. Watching the man looking at her, she was reminded how different they really were on some levels. Some things she supposed she would always miss.

It was an impulse, but he thought he could let it out. "I know, you used them quit well on me. If we weren't chained, I might even ask you to use them on me again." A smile, though invisible to Raven, was audible in his voice. She smiled back, maybe there was still a little of her old friend in there.

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Queen Raven stared at the heart in her hand, another of the four picking at it's protruding veins. She had always kept her enemies closer then her allies, and that tramp had been kept closest of all. She was the reason for all the misery of the demoness' life, but she was also the key to getting her Garlo back at her side. That hadn't worked out as planned though, he had some sort of reservation about betraying his race. She shook her head, how foolish he was. That was easily fixed however. Once dead, she could bring him back under an enchantment, then he would remain by her without question for all of eternity.

She thought about placing the organ in one of the glass cases throughout the room, putting it in sync with all the others, but as she looked at it, it reminded her of the former owner.

It made a plopping noise as it hit the floor and began to rot slowly.

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"ENOUGH!!" Raven looked up at Garlo, her wings in mid flap. She had been going at it for hours, and now did it with the same ease that she needed to move her arms and legs. Watching her for that long had brought back memories of when he could form wings, when he could fly like a bird, or as a bird. It was heart dropping. She could see it plainly in his eyes, still the only part that was visible to her. Letting her muscles relax, she looked around the room for something to keep her busy. Waiting for death was boring as hell. "I....." He paused, thinking his words over. He still wasn't sure why he was going to say what he was about to say, but why should that stop him. A little part deep inside died when he admitted to himself that he might not get through this. He would have much to regret in the afterlife, but not speaking now would not be one of the things. "If things had been different,..... I might have.....I would have....." He mentally mused that this was harder then fighting a thousand demons at once single handedly. "I could love you."

The gothic girl was taken aback, this was the last thing she expected, but then she hadn't expected a lot of things. Maybe she should start planning on the impossible, it would definitely save shocked expressions. Slowly, it came back down. Her mind processed the thought several times over, before deciding what to say. She had nothing to lose with the truth. "I believe I could love you too. Maybe I already do."

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Red X stared through the unseen slot, watching and listening to all that had happened in the past few hours. His orders were to kill them both, and make sure that Garlo's body remained in tact. What for he didn't know, nor care. Only the last part of the conversation held any relevance for him. Do what you will with the girl. His hated enemies "possible" love, this was too sweet. Even his slightly naive partner might enjoy the sexual tortures that he had in mind. He laughed silently. Being a bastard was so much fun.

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The shackled pair turned their heads as a masked figure entered the room, fallowed by a floating red head with a sickening grin on her face. In a split second she had entangled herself around the winged woman, her superior strength holding Raven spread eagle as Red X moved closer to the two. Garlo growled deeply, he could smell the arousal in the room, by both of the new comers and had an idea of what they were thinking. Raven thrashed wildly for freedom to no avail. "What are you doing?"

A cold voice answered, "I heard your heart felt confessions about imaginary feelings in imaginary situations and felt something stir deep in my soul. I thought that giving you one more chance to be close. I can't let you free even for an instant though, so I figured he could watch, while me and Starfire enjoy this young woman." He turned to look the other masked man in the eye. "Isn't that kind of me?"

Within his mental cage, the beast howled in anger. "MINE, HOW DARE THEY EVEN CONSIDER IT. LET ME OUT." Garlo's eye twitched as he watched the free man jerk his hand and rip the front of Raven's shirt open. Breasts swinging out, she cried out in anger and embarrassment.

The red head's eyes lit up, "Those are nice, so much nicer then mine......make them less nice." There was darkness in her voice, much like the tormentor standing on the other side of the woman. Some time later, Raven would wonder if she would have been the same Starfire if not for his influence.

A blade came from nowhere, and in a fluid like motion, a red cut appeared from the center of Raven's chest to just centimeters from her nipple. a scream of pain filled the room, then another as the process was repeated with the opposite breast. Strong hands squeezed the soft flesh, forcing more blood out and more pain in. Without any urging, Red X brought the blade up to his partners face, and she proceeded to lick off the red liquid.

Garlo's heart rate was speeding up, and become more powerful. He could feel it in his every cell, begging for release. The beast raged within. "LET ME OUT, WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO DO, ACTUALLY FUCK HER IN FRONT OF YOU?" Mentally he argued back, "I can't lose control, she might get hurt. Then what would it all be for?" Under other circumstances, he might have figured out how important he was admitting she was to him. A sound, it was almost like laughter erupted in his mind. This time the voice was calm, almost human. "If you don't want to lose control, then don't."

Red X slid his hand into Raven's leggings, causing her to scream louder. Her body writhed in frustration. The male turned to the other capture, and beneath the mask he was smiling.

Garlo growled loudly. "Let her go. Before I rip out your heart." His body pulled back, and his hands reached for the mask that covered his face.

Red X laughed aloud. "You don't scare me, now if it were the beast then I might have been afraid. But we both know you haven't changed into that thing for years. Too bad, he might have won. No beast when you need one."

Garlo smiled from beneath the mask, his hands gripping it's sides tightly. "Don't you know boy?" His voice was no longer human, but something stronger, more primitive. "I AM THE BEAST!" His fingers flexed, and the mask snapped in half, dropping to the ground.