Shadow Creatures || TIM DRAKE

⥈ chapter twenty-one: THE SECOND COMING ⥈

Tim shook the image away and pushed his bike to go faster. The sooner he got to Dabria, the less he had to think about all of this. 

Tim thought Bruce wanted him to be the distraction but as it turns out, Damian and him would be the distraction. Bruce felt that Dabria might only let Tim get close enough. "Malum wants Dabria to watch him kill you with her bare hands." Bruce said. "I think you have a better shot than the two of us to get within range of her."

"I can't do this." Tim had said, staring at the ominously glowing stone.

"You have to." Bruce said. Tim swallowed hard and like the dutiful hero he was, Tim picked up the stone and put it into his utility belt. 

Tim could hear Dabria laughing over the sound of his engine. 

The city was a literal hellscape. Everything that wasn't on fire was broken beyond repair and there were these demon-like creatures all roaming around, never directly in your sight. They clung to the shadows to do their misdeeds. Tim wondered if Dabria had summoned the creatures straight out of hell to do her bidding. 

When Tim reached the center of Gotham, he found Dabria in the middle of decapitating a police officer. She looked... Different. It had only been ten maybe fifteen minutes tops since Tim last saw her but Malum must have done something to change her appearance. Dabria looked older, taller and she was wearing a low cut black suit that was very different from her Phantom garb. This one was made of leather and probably would have made Dabria uncomfortable with how tightly it hugged her skin. She had a purple, blood soaked cloak around her shoulders and her hair was longer, almost to the center of her back and wrapped in fire. There was a dark crown on her forehead that was wreathed with flames.  "Malum, stop!" Tim shouted just as she raised her blood soaked sword. 

Malum paused and slowly turned to look at Tim Drake who had his helmet in his hands, staring at her appalled. Malum slowly smiled and dropped the man who was in such a shock that he didn't even try to escape. Malum pushed some of her hair back and began to walk towards Tim slowly. Inside her own head, Dabria screamed at Tim to run away. But he couldn't hear her. 

I'm going to enjoy killing him. 

Came Malum's thoughts, rushing towards Dabria.

No! Dabria screamed.

"Have you come to join me Timothy." Dabria said, holding her hand out to Tim. Tim's heart was beating fast in his chest. Dabria always had this air of confidence around her but Tim always felt that it was a bit forced. But right now, Dabria was confident and menacing. "We'll have so much fun together." 

"Please leave Dabria." Tim said, hoping his voice didn't wobble. Dabria laughed.

"I am Dabria. Dabria is me. Now join, or die." 

"Even if I said yes you would still kill me Malum." Dabria lowered her hand and shook out her long dark hair. Tim swallowed hard, wondering if the demon in Dabria's body was purposefully trying to seduce him. 

"Smart boy." 

"Just let Dabria go, please." Tim begged again. Dabria smiled and started to walk towards him slowly.

"It's nice hearing you beg boy but why should I do anything you say? I hold all the power here." Dabria held up her arms, palms to the sky as they became wrapped in flames. As she walked, flames even rose up from the leather boots she was wearing. 

"You don't." Tim said. Dabria laughed again. "You just think that you do." Dabria couldn't be more than ten feet from him now. He needed to get close enough to her to shove the Binding Stone into her mouth. It wouldn't be enough to just toss it at her or hold it against her arm. Constantine said the stone had to be physically inside of her, one way or the other. That either meant turning it into a projectile and shooting it at her or simply forcing it into her mouth or... "Other places" as Constantine put it. "Dabria, if you can hear me, I'm sorry." Tim said softly. Dabria was smirking at him. She was close enough to reach out and touch his face.