Of Fire and Flames (A Nightwing Love Story)

Chapter Five ~ Help

Fire...Death...Destruction, the three things that seem to of followed me my entire life. These young heroes seem to be able to control their powers well enough not to cause those three things...but how do they do it? Or rather not do it. Is it because they have mentors? Maybe that's what I need... There's a knock on my door and then Batman enters with another man. They close the door behind them and stand at the end of my bed.

"Ella, if you are ever going to be able to control your powers, you're going to need to work with some of the mentors of the Justice League. This is Jason Blood. Also know as Etrigan. His situation is similar to yours, I believe that he will be a good first mentor for you...if you allow him to."

I nod my head and the Bat leaves the room. I turn my head so that I'm facing Jason, he smiles at me and offers his hand, "Are you ready to get out of here my dear?"

"You mean we're leaving?"

He smiles and nods his hand, "We are. This is no place for the likes of us to train.... that is unless you want for something to catch on fire?"

I jump up and shout,"No!"

He lifts his hands in a gesture of calm down, "It's alright. No one will be harmed. Not where we're going."

"W-Where are we going?"

"Camelot."

"As in the place with the sword in the stone? Isn't that place long gone?"

He smirks and holds out his hand to me, "To most it is, but I have abilities that make it possible. Are you ready?"

"You'll teach me how to control my powers?" he nods, "Then yes, I'm ready."

He seems to summon some sort of portal. He takes my hand in his and we step through together...

***

"If you ever want to be able to control yourself you must let your past go. Or else it will continue to control you! Let it go Ella!"

"That's not as easy as you seem to think it is! I burned my Mother-"

"And the demon that I share a body with has killed thousands. Now focus!"

He just doesn't understand, the ones that he killed and injured he didn't know, but I hurt the person that gave me life, raised me,....loved me. Past tense. I need to let those memories go, but it's hard. But I need to. I have to-

"How can I focus with you throwing rocks at me?!" I shout at him as he throws yet another stone at me.

For some reason while he has me trying to let go of my past, he also has me balancing on a 25 ft tall narrow post as he throws rocks at me. How in the world did this guy become my mentor?

"That's my point! If you don't have time to think, about your past you can focus on the here and now!"

He throws another rock at me, but this time instead of it hitting me, I throw it back...on fire.

"Better! Now try that again!"

This continues for I don't even know how long when he decides to do it a little differently, meaning him throwing fire balls at me instead.

"Let's see if you can keep up. Gone, Gone the form of man and rise the demon Etrigan!"

Where Jason once stood, a yellow demon now stands in his place. I have a feeling that this isn't going to end well for me. I mean come on! He's been alive for thousands of years and I'm only seventeen!

"Pay attention, or await decimation!" he shouts at me as he shoots a fireball at me.

I try to dodge it, but it hits me in the center of my chest and I fall off the pole I've been balancing on. I hit the ground with a loud 'thud' and groan as I try to sit up. I glare at Etrigan as he smirks at me.

"You're angry, good, as you should."

I force myself to stand, ignoring the throbbing pain in my shoulder. A quick glance confirms what I already knew to be true, my shirt has a huge scorch mark on it but my skin's unharmed.

"Are you ready for another whippin' or are you chicken?"

"Bring it," I growl at him as I climb back up the twenty-five foot tall pole he's had me balancing on all morning.

That starts the process over again, he throws a fire ball at me, but this time, I return it, bigger, faster, and hotter then he sent it. He grins at me and motions for me to come down but as I start to I notice out of the corner of my eye that he's just sent another fire ball at me. I quickly grab onto the top edge of the pole and swing my weight out and kick the fire ball back out at him.

I watch in awe as he narrowly avoids the fire ball. I did that....I just did that! I climb down quickly and have to suppress my grin as Etrigan glares at me. I hear a poof and he's engulfed in flames. Then the next moment, Jason is standing beside me again. He nods his approval and makes a portal, I look through it and I see the cave.

"Good job Ella, now tell me what you learned today and you can go back."

I choose to answer in true Etrigan fashion,"Release the Fire, let go the Pain. And watch me as I rise again!"

He smiles at me and we step through together.

***