The Price of Feathers

Sparks will fly

Lucifer took a knee and felt at her face. She was used to this sensation, but that didn't make it less successful. It would take a lot more to train Raven effectively if she wanted to survive the games, which was mandatory as far as Lucifer was concerned. The tall brunette stood up from the ground and made her way over to Aphrodite and Leech. She placed her hand on the platinum-blonde boy's shoulder, making the boy stand aside.

"I'm good, Cypher, promise," the dark-haired goddess smiled at the usually brooding girl. Her purple eyes were scanning her skin for any bruises. When she didn't find any, she breathed a sigh of relief. Aphrodite giggled at how worried Lucifer looked. "You're cute, Cypher. Don't worry about me. I'm not the one Ash whipped with a blade of fire."

The purpled-eyed girl shrugged the comment off and took a step back. The blacked haired girl giggled again and pat her teammate on her collarbone. Lucifer was glad the succubus wasn't hurt and gave Leech a solemn nod before turning around and towards Silver. Silver was scratching the batch of his head. The room felt awkward, especially since he watched Dagne pull Ash away. It wasn't like the group wasn't used to a dragon losing control occasionally, but with Ash, it was different. She was new, and they didn't know the exact extent of her power. Mostly he just wanted things to cool off and for everyone to be okay, but universal peace and wellness were not at the top of anyone's agenda when you're involved in a literal death game.

He saw Lucifer approaching him, so he straightened up and prepared himself for whatever his team leader would have to say.

"You okay, Cypher?" he asked as she reached earshot. She had a sour look on her face and walked past him. As she got ahead of him, she nodded toward the canteen. Silver willingly followed. He knew that she didn't like to make her thoughts too private when they really count. He hopped onto one of the canteen tables and drummed his hands on either side of the table.

"She's not learning quick enough," she finally sighed and bent over, stretching her hands out in front of her onto the table. She was standing beside Silver with a pained look on her face and her eyebrow knitted together in a frown.

"She will. She just got here. Give her a second to find her footing, yeah?" he tried again softly.

Lucifer scoffed at his comment and then raked her hand through her hair while clenching her jaw. She was at her wit's end. If Raven didn't learn fast and get stronger.... She needed to master her powers sooner rather than later before she dead. Lucifer just wanted to avoid that at all costs.

"What should I do to get her ready in time?" Lucifer almost looked like she wanted to cry, but since that was impossible, Silver just bit his bottom lip and tried to think of what to say next.

"Considering you're the strongest of us, maybe you're the best person to teach her," he suggested, drumming his fingers on the metal canteen bench.

Suddenly Lucifer shot up from the bench and then turned around. She started to turn around, but Sliver giggled softly and then said, "I know; I love you too, Cypher."

A small smile played across her lips, and she walked towards the door. There was only one place left to take Raven for a talk that wouldn't be depressing, so the sunroom was her best bet.

She was almost in the room when she overheard the last part of Dagne's story. It was sad, heartbreaking, really. She always suspected that the bubbly blonde had a checked past. You don't get into Artemis's playground without screwing up a few times in the real world. That said, losing your sister was not a fate she wished on anyone. She hated Angelica on the best days, but that didn't mean she wished for her death.

The other thing that moved her was how close the girls were. She didn't want to intrude, and she truly was happy that Raven had a friend in the Dark, but she wanted to get closer to her as well. To help her, of course. Lucifer took a shaky breath before stepping inside the room. She cleared her throat, but that didn't work, so she spoke up.

"Ash, Can we speak?" the girls' heads shot in her direction.

Raven turned on her heels quickly and whipped her eyes before facing Lucifer. She was nervous to speak to her, especially after how vulnerable she got with Dagne. It was strange to open up to the Russian so quickly, but there was a part of her that felt like it wasn't the first time she had done that so maybe there was some parallel universe version of her that had always been a blabber mouth and migrated to Russia to spill all of their dark deep secrets to the kind heated blonde. What Dange said to her was something she never thought they'd share. To lose someone you love, your family of all people, in that way is something you'll never get over for as long as you live. It was a fate worse than death and one that she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.

Snapping out of her melancholy long enough to realise that not only had she not replied to Cypher or acknowledged that Dagne was no longer in the room with them. In her seat, awfully close to her on the sun bed, Cypher sat with a solemn look on her face. Raven shifted on the seat and was hyper aware of how close Cypher was sitting next to her. The next thing she become extremely aware of was the giant red mark on the purple eyed girl's cheek. It looked painful.

Well of course it looked painful, Raven thought to herself with a reprimanding inner voice, you burned her face, dumbass.

"How's your cheek," Raven asked her roommate, unconsciously raising her hand to settle on the brunette's skin.

Lucifer flinched, not at her action but at how warm her hand was on her skin. It felt nice. She didn't realise that she had nestled towards her touch, but as soon as she did, her eyes widened, and she shot away from her like Raven's touch carried the plague.

"It's fine. Wounds heal quickly down here..." She said that and didn't care to elaborate further. After all, Raven would put two and two together soon enough.

"I came here to talk to you," Lucifer said, sitting silently. Raven stared at her and shifted in silence. Lucifer cleared her throat and then stood up. She wasn't used to being this awkward. In truth, the only person that had ever elicited this feeling out of her was Raven. She couldn't explain it, but it was true.

"Look, the training was a bit too much and ... perhaps you should rest, and then we can try again," Lucifer said and clenched her jaw. She was going to take Silver's advice and give her one on one training. Her last chance was to get Raven to fight well enough to survive the game. She would keep Raven alive even if it killed her because if Raven died, the rest of them were doomed anyway.

The Brunette walked towards the door and stalled at the doorway for a few seconds before finally leaving. Lucifer had so much she wanted to say, but she couldn't bring herself to say it... not yet.

Raven stared at the empty doorway for a few seconds trying to process everything that had happened today, and she was coming up empty. Maybe Cypher was right. She should probably take a nap and recharge after today.

She felt herself drift off to sleep as soon as her head touched the body. When her eyes closed and the darkness took her over, she was back in a familiar room. Her childhood room was visible, and she watched herself run out of the room crying. She followed the girl out of the room and heard people scream in the background. She left the house just in time with smoke invading her lungs to the point where clean air actually burnt her insides. Raven fell to her knees and coughed out. The little girl was gone, but the house wasn't. The screams could still be heard inside, and things were getting knocked down in the house. Then someone made it out of the house, but the entire house exploded before they reached the lawn.

Raven's eyes shot open, and she sat up in her bed and felt a pair of arms wrapped around her. She wasn't fully cognisant of her surroundings. All she could think about was the sound of screaming and how the smell of burnt flesh wafted in the air. She felt like her lungs were still on fire. Raven clawed at her throat and tried to take a breath. The person behind her was rubbing soothing circles on her back. She finally calmed down a lot and managed to look up to see who was comforting her.

Lucifer was the one comforting her.