Damius: I am so sorry for not updating in over two months. I had another project to work on, and it took over. I actually had this done a month ago, but I, in my vast stupidity, forgot to upload it.
Music: You're an idiot.
Damius: I have some good news though, after this chapter Music will be gone for a while so it will focus more on BB and Robin.
Music: I'll kill you for this Damius. He's planning to turn me more evil, and not the Muh-Sek kind either that can be fixed.
Damius: Enjoy the chapter, it's not my best work but…
Music: he had trouble writing this.
Chapter 9
Grey light filtered through the window, showing the grimaced features of Music, who was under the influence of a creation of his fractured mind. All his potential for evil and destruction had melded and twisted to form Muh-Sek.
"This could be a problem." Ehl-Sek was standing over his son, watching the energies move through the Cambion in erratic surges. Slade was nearby leaning against Robin, who was frozen within Ehl-Sek's time spell.
"I could easily change the outcome of the battle, if you would allow me to enter." Ehl-Sek shifted the mirror away from Slade, not trusting his intentions.
"No, the boy's true form will kill the shape-shifting runt quickly. I made careful sure that the fire in his blood would have a distinct advantage if this ever happened." Ehl-Sek smiled hollowly, stroking his son's long locks of hair in a mock gesture of affection.
"The demon part seems foolish and overconfident, to the point where he was caught in such an obvious trap." Slade moved to the window, staring out at the frozen seagulls in mid-flight.
"Side effect of the premature change, when the two natures merge he will be as powerful as the demon, with all the knowledge of the human and none of the weak emotions to tie him down." Ehl-Sek watched as Muh-Sek convulsed violently.
"At which point he will be my apprentice." Slade's silky voice hinted at the smirk he was wearing.
"If only you could be here to see your weak Gabriel fall." Ehl-Sek said it below a whisper, smirking with some kind of twisted nostalgic delight. His eyes never left Music.
Slade turned back, having lip-read Ehl-Sek in the reflection of the window.
"We have business to attend to, elsewhere." Slade flickered slightly, and disappeared before Ehl-Sek could argue. Ehl-Sek took one last look at his son and vanished in a red hazy blur. Time resumed in the medical bay.
Beastboy opened his eyes. He felt intense warmth mixed with drowsiness. The air was scorching hot, but not uncomfortable surprisingly. It was humid too, like a rainforest, but was again almost comforting. Beastboy grinned at the sunset orange sky. it took a few seconds to realise there was no sun in the sky to set, and the orange was more like thick clouds covering the sky, melding a swirling chaotically.
Getting to his feet he remembered the mirror, and being forcibly dragged into Music's head. His body felt heavy, as did his breath. Taking a deep breath he choked, the air had a strong taste and scent of blood on it. He took a step, stumbling slightly. He saw the source of the scent quickly. He was on a beach of smooth black sand, with a dark red ocean that lapped at the shore. It had a thick slow texture to its movement that showed it was blood. He resisted the urge to throw up, knowing that it wasn't real.
Heading inland quickly to escape the scent he noticed that the beach didn't end, it flowed into a black desert. Beastboy attempted to change into a more efficient form for desert travel. He found himself unable to change, and felt a distinct pressure every time he attempted to. His instincts said it was Muh-Sek's influence.
Continuing inland he began to notice things. Every few minutes he would feel a distinct presence behind him, and even hear the shift of the sand. When he turned to look he found nothing. Ignoring them made it worse. He soon began to see things out of the corner of his eye. The first time was a complete shock to the changeling. A small girl appeared just within sight, and he reacted by swinging his katana at the join of her neck. His mind supplied the gory image despite nothing being there. It took a few more seconds before he realised he had attacked with Music's katana. The blade and the girl were nowhere to be seen, yet he still felt the after presence of where he had gripped the handle.
He broke into a run, trying to escape whatever was happening. A small boy appeared to his left. He stopped slashing with his elongated black claws. Blood sprayed across his face. He licked his lips sampling the coppery tang. Beastboy gasped sharply, seeing nothing once again. He wiped away the non-existent blood spray, ignoring not the revulsion at the taste of blood, but the fact he had enjoyed it. He broke into a desperate run.
He just had to get to Music, wherever he was. Hands wrapped around an old mans head, crushing the skull effortlessly. He blinked the image away, staring at his hands in disbelief. A shadow loomed over him. Before he knew what he was doing he felt flesh and bone wrap around his hand. Something warm and beating was clutched and immediately yanked out. Nothing was there, these horrors were mocking him.
He got up, feeling his anger swell.
"Stop messing with me!" He yelled exhausting his lungs. Another shadow loomed over him from behind. He spun around punching at it. It connected with a sound 'crunch' knocking Music backwards. The Cambion glared menacingly as he set his jaw back in place with a wince.
"Good to see you too." Sarcasm and annoyance dripped from Music's words.
"Music." Beastboy stammered an apology embarrassedly. He noticed Music was wearing the black fur lined coat, but it was torn and dirtied. Music himself had several cuts and bruises, but they seemed to be healing over.
"This place is his domain; he can make you see and feel what he has experienced." Music's voice was wrong. It was filled with a cold anger that sounded very alien. Music picked up a handful of the black and poured it. It fell at an angle to the right. Music turned following the direction the sand had pointed. "We need to hurry."
"His vitals are off the charts." Robin activated the medical interface glaring at the high numbers.
"He's tearing himself apart from within." Raven pressed her hand to his head. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos." black energy coated her hand.
"Well?" Hadrian stood forward, his expression looking close to the embodiment of a thunderstorm.
"Beastboy's in danger." Raven sifted through the images streaming from the tangled web of thoughts. "He's within the influence of the demon, and Music doesn't even know." Raven retracted her hand.
"I say we go in there together and stab it to death." Everybody took a step back as Andrea began waving her (thankfully) short katana around.
"It won't let us in; it took Beastboy as a hostage." Robin growled, without realising he sounded possessive.
"I've sensed his emotions several times; he seems to be slowly falling to Muh-Sek's power. I felt something from him for a moment I can only describe as evil, pure evil." Raven swallowed. Robin's eyes flared under his mask and he looked ready to do some damage to anything that crossed him. Hadrian looked to be deciding something important, and wore a dark expression of worry. He came to a decision and slipped out unnoticed.
Standing in the common room Hadrian let out a shaky breath, getting out an orange circular communication device with a pointed 'S' on it. He activated it, glaring impatiently.
"I knew I would be hearing from you soon." Slade spoke blankly.
"Skip the formalities, if Music turns you lose out on more power that Ehl-Sek could ever offer you, and an apprentice. How do I stop him turning?" Hadrian glared at the screen, ignoring the rapid changes of temperature in the room brought on by his powers and anger.
"Your threats are hollow. You cannot help him. And you would be wise to remember who you serve." The last part was an obvious threat. The line went dead. Hadrian tried again.
"You cannot help him." Slade sounded ever so slightly annoyed, but hid it well.
"What about his kind, they must have something?" Slade considered this for a moment.
"The Abadonian priests in the sanctuary may know a way, but since Muh-Sek's 'shopping trip' it's been sealed by powerful magic." Slade spoke calmly, unnerving Hadrian.
"How do I get him there?" Hadrian was speaking quickly and in a panicked tone.
"You need to teleport in. Sadly the only one who has access to those magic's is the one you seek to save. I've seen him reading from it a few times." Amusement at the irony laced his voice.
"It would be in one of the darker spell books, right??" Hadrian thought it over.
"Yes, but he'd hide it where none would think to look." Hadrian smiled at Slade's words.
"Is it black with shape changing runes covering it?" Hadrian's smile widened.
"Yes."
"It's next to his porn magazines." Hadrian could have sworn he heard Slade choke on his breath momentarily. He ended the communication.
"Dude, we've been walking for hours." Beastboy hurried so he was walking alongside Music.
"I know." Music answered automatically.
"We haven't eaten in ages." he whined, trying to lighten the mood.
"I know."
"There's nothing here."
"I know."
"And your not listening are you?" Beastboy scowled.
"I know." Beastboy smirked.
"I'm planning on screwing you into the floor, hard and fast."
"I kno…" Music stopped and spun around quickly, eyebrows knotted in confusion and surprise. "That's not funny." He deadpanned, turning to the horizon and walking again.
"So where is he?" Beastboy had felt a strange pressure in the air, and a constant unease that usually meant extreme danger.
"He's hovering just past the horizon, close enough to follow us and assess the danger but far enough away not to put himself at risk." Music smiled widely, dark thoughts showing in his expression. Having his back to Beastboy and walking further ahead this was left unnoticed.
He crawled across the black dudes, keeping low to hide his presence.
"Where are we going? We've walked for hours and I've seen all of nothing." Beastboy turned, briefly thinking he had seen something move in the distance. He shrugged it off as paranoia.
He ducked to avoid sweeping eyes
"The way out, it's on the border between his and my domains." Music jolted his head, scanning the horizon sharply.
"What's the other place like?" Beastboy looked at the dark landscape, nothing but black sand and orange cloudy skies.
Running ahead he began setting a trap, waiting to ambush. His body tingled at the thought of ripping him to pieces as payback.
"White sand, blue skies, palm trees, a small house overlooking the ocean, which is freshwater not blood." Music stated in his almost dazed way. "We should hurry; if he gets there first he could ambush us and go through the gateway."
"If you kill him here, he won't die but you'll be put back in control?" Beastboy noticed a sliver of pale blue sky peeking out the horizon, the border.
He heard the edge of a voice, opening his senses so he wouldn't miss his opportunity.
"And everything will be as it should be." Music smiled blankly. He continued walking towards the border.
Nearly there, just another few steps
"If this place is your head, why's it so empty?" Beastboy laughed.
"It's a represe…" Music's leg was pulled under the sand.
Time to rip, time to shred, time to kill
The sand exploded upwards in a maelstrom of movement. Music was tackled by something coming up through the floor, and immediately ran through a katana violently. He fell, and the attacker turned to Beastboy through the sand obscuring most sight. He ran towards the shape-shifter, but was intercepted by Music.
"You took your time." The attacker knocked Music out of the way, grabbing Beastboy.
A loud roar, with several pronounced echoes followed them. Beastboy was being carried over the attackers shoulder. He saw the familiar grey cloak that Music had worn before turning.
He looked up seeing Music in pursuit. He immediately noticed something wrong. The Music he'd travelled with had four pointed pupils. The attacker put him down, looking directly at him assessing if he was injured. Beastboy saw the Music behind his eyes was genuine.
"You scared the hell out of me when I saw he had you as a hostage." Music still had hold of Beastboy's hand, and was pulling him towards the border quickly.
"He isn't following." Beastboy stopped running.
"He doesn't need to; we can't get out until one of us is proven dominant and the longer we're here the weaker we become."
"What?!" Beastboy looked at him with wide eyes.
"My body is burning energy fast fighting itself, and I can't eat to replenish it. There's no food here so you'll starve eventually too, unless we manage to get to the safe-house in my territory."
"We could die here?" It sounded more like a statement of a fact than a question.
"No." Music lifted Beastboy's chin so that Music was looking down into his eyes. Crouching slightly to settle the height difference he pressed a brief kiss to his lips, then leaned their foreheads together so he was looking directly into emerald eyes again. "We'll get out of this, I promise."
"Where did you get this?" Raven's voice made Hadrian cringe in fear without realising.
"Music's room. If we can get him to the Abadonite priests they might be able to help him." Hadrian was sounding more and more desperate. Raven was flicking through the book, which to everybody else appeared to be blank.
"This is a really dark spell; it draws power from both the caster and several infernal realms." Raven traced the symbols with her finger. Even un-cast she could feel the dangerous power their written form gave off. "We need some rare items too."
Luke reached into the back pocket of his jeans, removing a scrap of paper and a pencil. Raven walked over, understanding that it was best to rely on a fellow magic user. It took all of twenty seconds for them to begin arguing, quietly, about the best quantities to use and whether it was worth risking the instability of the more dark powered items when they had similar non explosive alternatives.
Speedy and Robin were standing next to the still Muh-Sek, both thinking deeply. Speedy was wondering when he'd next see Kid-Flash; he'd recently had this urge to get to know him for unknown reasons. He had yet to figure out it was Beastboy and Music's manipulations causing it. After they had agreed that they would make a cute couple and altered a few thoughts in the same way Music had tried unsuccessfully on Robin.
Robin was daydreaming about a certain green person, and oddly enough whipped cream. He shook the thoughts out of his head, muttering about how Music was a bad influence and how his perverseness was infectious.
"Its Kaza, Rheam, Daemonium, Preyzus, Ori!" Luke arguing with Raven was enough to draw attention.
"The glyphs are written in Abadonian, not Arreley. Its Ka-Ze, Ro-Heam, Daema-Nes, Prey-Seer, Ori" Raven commented forcefully, pointing at the glyphs that Luke had used a spell to make visible.
"I'm guessing that means you haven't worked it out yet." Robin sighed, wondering if Beastboy was hurt or killed. His stomach tied in knots at the dark thoughts.
"He refused to listen."
"She won't accept she's wrong."
"Shut up and work it out." Terra snapped, eyes glowing yellow menacingly.
Andrea took the book from Raven, scanning the two lines of glyphs.
"You read the glyphs from top to bottom, not right to left." She handed the book back to Raven. "Music explained it when I tried reading one of his spell books."
"Ka-Za, Rhe-Roam, Daemi-Nius, Prezs-Seer, Ori." Both the magic users spoke in unison. The book reacted to the words being spoken by glowing faintly. Raven and Luke immediately began drawing a chalk circle on the ground, and dividing the list of ingredients between them. They both completed the circle, with the accompanying mystic symbols and dashed off to get what was required to open the rift.
"Something bad just happened in the real world." Music shivered, Feeling the tingle of magic brush against his physical body.
"What?" Beastboy stopped running when Music did.
"They're trying to open a gateway to the sanctuary." Music paled, realising what the sensation was. He knew it had to be Hadrian's meddling, and vowed some revenge.
"Why's that bad?"
"Demon law states that any renegades must be terminated, that's what the hunters are for. I doubt I can get any more renegade then a mall massacre." Music scowled.
"Oh, that sucks." Beastboy couldn't really think of anything to say.
They continued walking in uncomfortable silence, until the reached the gateway out. Two pillars stood directly on the line where black sand and orange sky met white sand and blue sky. The pillars were each black and white marble, with a hazy shimmer running between them.
"Pretty." Beastboy looked at the hypnotic shimmering patterns. "Alright let's go."
"What's the rush?" Beastboy jumped back, just as Muh-Sek appeared before him. "Maybe you need him out so you can fight me. I've noticed you've been putting all your will and strength into keeping me from influencing him. Perhaps I should show him what you conceal."
"What's he talking about?" Beastboy had backed off a bit, watching Music tense to fight.
"Ignore him."
Muh-Sek dashed forward, grabbing Beastboy.
"This is what he hides." Looking into Muh-Sek's eyes he saw them bleed from orange to red. The red consumed Beastboy's vision instantly.
"Ka-Za, Rhe-Roam, Daemi-Nius, Prezs-Seer, Ori." Light faintly danced around the edge of the circle. Colours blurred and warped, and an overpowering smell of sulphur leaked out. Raven and Luke looked to be in a trance. Both of their eyes were completely black, showing just how dark a spell was being performed.
"Trasu, Se-Nii, Ino, Ehkce."
Raven drew a dagger in her right hand. Entwining her left hand in Luke's right, gripping tightly she pulled back the dagger. She stabbed it into Luke's hand cutting through her own in the process. Both seemed to not feel any pain, writhing and grinning like it was almost pleasurable. Blood dripped from the blade.
"With this blood offering the binding will shatter." Luke and Raven spoke in a foreign dialect, which everybody could hear echo in their head in English.
Luke pulled out the dagger, slashing an X into the centre of the circle. Cold white light poured from the slash, bathing the room in ethereal ambience.
A powerful wind ripped through the medical bay, then stillness. The circle glowed faintly, and the smell of earth leaked out.
Luke was on the floor, unconscious, blood leaking from his nose and ears. Raven was crouching, breathing heavily but otherwise unaffected.
"He's fine, we need to hurry through." Raven breathed quietly, feeling the ash black haired mage's power fluctuate between darkness and light as the spell began to fade from his body. "He seems resilient to dark magic."
Hadrian picked up Luke, carrying him carefully seeing that his skin was red and looked feverish. Speedy hoisted Muh-Sek up, with Robin's help and walked to the edge of the rift.
"Is this safe?" Speedy looked at it doubtfully.
"Probably not." Hadrian with Luke, and Raven stepped through vanishing into the white light.
"My turn." Andrea threw herself in. Robin briefly considered sedating her before stepping through himself.
"Hey Angel, waffles or pancakes?" Beastboy opened his mouth to ask where he was but found the words 'waffles please' come out, in Music's voice. He girl who had offered smiled. She looked a lot like Raven but with long silver hair and green eyes.
"His memory, exactly as he lived it." Muh-Sek whispered from nowhere. "Very appropriate, his old superhero name isn't it."
Beastboy looked around, seeing a warehouse that had been converted to living space. It looked much lived in. Turning he saw his reflection in a half broken mirror. It was definitely Music, but he was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans, and a sky blue eye mask similar to Robins, with a set of yellow goggles resting on his forehead. But the superhero costume wasn't the biggest shock; it was the blond hair, with light blue tips and slightly tanned skin.
"He's a partial shape-shifter, but he can only change his hair. He was actually born blond, with red highlights, but changed it upon coming to earth."
Strong arms encircled him, and a half kiss, half bite was planted on his neck.
"Good to see you're up bastard." Beastboy growled playfully. There was a joking familiarity to the insult. Beastboy felt unnerved by the words he had no control over.
"I'm surprised you're walking after our four hours last night." Beastboy felt the hot blush rush across his face.
"I heal fast, but I can't say the same for you Kyle." He smirked at the deep bruises on his neck. Kyle was strange looking. He appeared about seventeen, and was clearly metahuman. His eyes were crimson red, contrasting to his black long hair tied in a ponytail.
"Screw you Gabriel." Kyle snarled at Music.
"You already did, six times." Beastboy was wishing he wasn't living the memory. He wondered why Muh-Sek had chosen to show him what appeared to be a normal day in a team Music must have been a member of before the Titans.
"Angel, Obsidian, I do not want to hear that over breakfast." The Raven like girl sighed, putting down a plate of waffles. Kyle brushed off the comment, groping Music.
An explosion ripped through the building, and smoke rolled over everything. Music was on his feet immediately, and had a swirling ball of blue light ready to throw. A dark figure darted through the smoke. Obsidian moved his hand, creating several illusions of himself and Music to distract whoever was attacking. Kyle smirked, eyes fading to the colour of obsidian, the name he had taken. Flaring red again he dived forward. He was rewarded for his efforts with a sharp blade cutting through him. Blood poured freely.
Music shouted, running to help. He was slammed into a wall, and pinned to it with a sword. Beastboy tried to move to get the sword out, blinded by searing pain. His vision went dark for a moment, and he awoke to find blood everywhere. He was trembling, watching the gore pour from the open wound on his chest where the sword had been. There was a shift of energy and the hole closed.
"Blood. Its very poetic how it both haunts his nightmares and gives him power."
He staggered to the exit, ignoring the bodies.
"This is going to help how?" Robin drew his staff, tensing in preparation to fight the group that had converged on their position the moment they had emerged from the portal. Tall cave walls with wooden walkways filled with dark shapes, with clicking echoes of guns being loaded, and low muttered spells.
"Stand down team Sound, we have a kill order on the Sek." A voice echoed from a loudspeaker. Hadrian, Andrea and Luke scowled.
"Never." they chorused.
"Aiding one of them is a crime by our law."
"He's not evil; he's just being controlled by something evil." Andrea shouted.
"We already know, he is still too high risk to let live. All teams attack."
A burst of blue light shot from one of the higher walkways. A black bubble blocked it, and Raven drew herself to the front of the group.
"You'll execute a rogue Cambion, but do you have the guts to try that with me?" The troops all shuffled back. Muttering and argument broke out amongst the hunters, showing that the organized manner they conducted themselves was a front. They were all afraid of Skath's child.
"Makes you proud to be a hunter." Luke laughed sarcastically.
"Fine, you can pass but I swear if commander Dante finds out I've done this you're taking the heat."
"We need to get him to the lower caves, the priests can fix him." Hadrian turned to a tunnel and began running.
Beastboy sat back to back with Music laughing. They had no real reason to laugh; it was just a compulsion to do so having run across the whole of the human half of the mind island with the constant risk of death following them. After showing the memory, Muh-Sek had been weakened temporarily, just long enough to escape.
Beastboy sighed, tears forming in his eyes from the laughter. Music spread out on the antique rug, glad they had survived far enough to make it to the house. It was once a place for Music to escape to when he needed solitude, hidden deep within the mindscape so only he could access it, but had become a safe haven. For some unknown reason Muh-Sek could never enter without invitation, which was much appreciated now that Muh-Sek had turned from sadistic inner voice to evil bloodthirsty killer.
Beastboy's stomach growled, to which Music rolled his eyes. The house only had three rooms: the kitchen, meditation room and bedroom. The kitchen was just a refrigerator that replenished itself, a table and some plates lying around, the bedroom had only a plain white bed, and the meditation room just a fireplace and hundreds of cushions. Music got up, walking into the open kitchen and grabbing the first box of chocolates he could find. Carrying it into the meditation room he dropped onto the soft pillows next to where Beastboy had settled. Opening the chocolates he leaned back, watching the single oil lamp hang from the ceiling, unlit, and thus failing to chase away the shadows in the almost black room. The only light came from the bedroom, across from the meditation room, which had tall rectangular gaps in the walls covered in translucent white cloth to act like windows.
Picking a chocolate he bit into it. Caramel poured from it, over his lip which he quickly retrieved. Chocolate was of his many not-so-guilty pleasures. Soaking up the comfortable silence and faint sound of the ocean his thoughts turned darker. He realised he might not survive his fight with Muh-Sek and would be as good as dead. He would be confined to a black oblivion of nothing for eternity while Muh-Sek merrily committed genocides and started brutal wars.
Somehow he felt better knowing he was spending what little time he could have left in the company of as good a friend as Beastboy. He also felt guilty for dooming him to the same fate.
Looking across he couldn't help but laugh, seeing that Beastboy had managed to somehow smother his jaw and neck with chocolate. The expensive chocolates too, the ones with the nougat centre.
"You're a really messy eater, do you know that?" Music sighed sarcastically. Beastboy nodded, wiping most of it away with his hand.
"You missed a bit." Music quickly realised the opportunity he had.
"Where?" Music shuffled slightly nearer. He leaned close, darting his tongue out to collect the droplet of sweet liquid resting directly over his pulse, savouring the taste. It had an extra spice to it, which he memorised as being Beastboy's flavour.
"There." Music smiled contentedly, but his face belied the feral look behind his eyes. The same look a hunting wolf would give to a lamb.
Beastboy's cheeks changed colours, from green, to red, to purple, to green again in a blush. Music smiled at his cuteness, pressing their lips together lightly. Sparkling green eyes showed mischief, and Music was quickly flipped over so Beastboy had him pinned down. Not being one to surrender easily he pulled down on Beastboy's shoulders, starting another kiss. This time teeth meshed against each other and Music found Beastboy exploring his mouth tentatively. He gained confidence quickly, tongue battling against Music's and winning. Music wrapped his arms around the back of the shape-shifters neck, running his hands up and down his back at leisurely pace.
Music arched his hips upwards, grinding against the smaller Titan needily. He was surprised by Beastboy's strength; he wasn't usually one to be bested. Music stopped the kiss, moving down to the neck, nipping and licking just above the pulse. Freeing his hands he began to explore the changeling's chest and stomach, running his fingers over the taut flat stomach. Grinning into a bite Music felt Beastboy pressing into his thigh. Moving hands lower he ghosted touches over the obvious bulge, eliciting low approving mewls. Unclipping Beastboy's belt, he felt for the divide between the top and the bottom of that overly tight costume. Hands moved quickly, one pinning Music's arms above his head, the other removing the top half of the costume.
Music couldn't help but drool slightly. Beastboy had been lean when they had first met but in the months since he had broadened out, gaining some musculature. It was easy to forget his power when he acted so cheery and friendly. In his dazed staring Beastboy had shifted positions, biting down hard on the join between his shoulder and neck.
Fire shot down the nerve, cutting all thought from the brain. Music made a choked noise, a sorry attempt at a moan. A part of his mind was screaming its complaints about him not being the one on top, but it was left unheeded.
Music scrambled back a bit, removing the mesh shirt and fumbling with the zipper on his jeans. Beastboy laughed at the sudden change in Music's demeanour.
Music scolded himself, he was always confident and in control, he couldn't work out what was making him so shy and nervous.
Beastboy made two quick movements, undoing the zipper and pulling off the jeans effortlessly. Removing his own tight costume Beastboy gave a predatory grin at Music. Music responded by running his hands down Beastboy's flat stomach. His hand slipped under the white material of the shapeshifter's briefs, cupping hardened flesh and stroking slightly.
Beastboy growled, bucking down into the touch. Music smiled, and was immediately flipped onto his stomach.
The last coherent thought to run through his mind was:
'How the hell did I end up on bottom?'
"This is serious." The priest examined Music's eyes. "I was wondering when this would happen." The priests black robes rustled, and he removed a small dagger from the sleeve.
"Can you help him?" Robin took a step forward, looking at Music who was flat out on the slab of marble that was the main alter in the subterranean church.
"No. I can delay and suppress the deviant element but it would last a year at best. He's unique, if he can break his binding within that time he'll survive." The priest pricked Music's finger, tasting the blood that dripped out.
"Binding?" Raven had a look akin to mild surprise on her face. "If he breaks it he becomes human. I know for a fact he enjoys his demon powers, he wouldn't give them up."
"He's slowly becoming more and more demon as he uses his powers. By the taste of his blood I'd say he's 65 demon, at least. The deviant personality is more than likely what he is going to turn into, eventually Music will become Muh-Sek if he doesn't become human." The priest sighed.
"That monster is Music's destiny to put it simply." Hadrian spoke coldly. He suddenly understood what his master Slade was planning with his friend.
"Its one hell of a destiny I will admit that. His eyes are four pronged. The number of prongs determines how powerful they will be, his father was a four as well."
"What about the binding? What is it?" Robin could tell they were avoiding talking about it.
"A curse on all Cambion that requires them to embrace their desire to kill and seek revenge to free them from its influence. When the curse breaks it destroys the demon half leaving them as mortal."
Music began to move and twitch.
"I need to start the separation process." The priest began the spell, dark orange light pouring from his hands into Music.
"So now what?" They both stood at the gateway out. Beastboy was smiling wildly, while Music was angst'ing about being 'topped.'
"That's easy." Music leaned against Beastboy, so their faces were inches away. He drew closer, inclining to kiss, and then pushed him hard knocking Beastboy through the exit rift.
"You go free, I stay." Beastboy vanished into the shining gateway.
"Very noble of you, sacrifice yourself so he can go free. But while I'm in control he can't escape."
"The separation ritual. He's already free."
Music smiled, and raised his arms to the side. It looked like he was offering himself up for the kill.
Muh-Sek dived forward, ramming his hand through Music's chest. Blood poured freely.
"I win."
"No, we lose."
The mindscape seemed to be distorting.
"The separation forces us apart, and pushes you back. It'll contain us both, at least until the merging begins." Music slumped to the floor, hacking red liquid over the sand.
"And how are you going to explain to them that you and I are becoming one entity. They will start to notice eventually, when enraged you flicker between, how long will this stay unheeded?"
Damius: laughing at Music
Music: Stop it!
Damius: Gabriel, the human name you were given was Gabriel.
Music: Muh-Sek to my father, Gabriel to my mother, Music to everyone else.
Damius: I once again apologise for lateness. It was all my fault that i didn't pay attention.