CHAPTER 21
THE NEW WORLD

IRIS was fully and completely on edge.

She couldn't believe she was going through with this. She couldn't believe she even agreed to this, but her life was suddenly on the line and she had no idea what would've happened if she kept denying Nick's offer. So here she was, pacing around in a fucking turquoise blue wedding dress, all the while her necklace kept flashing on and off with each beat of her fast-racing heart.

Iris tore through almost a dozen bread rolls that had been offered to her. Jasper had brought in a whole basket full, like they were in an Olive Garden or something, and Iris was surprised she hadn't popped out of her dress yet from everything she'd eaten. She downed almost a whole pitcher of water, which caused her to pee at least six times before the ceremony. Iris did anything and everything to get her energy up. She didn't know what this ceremony would hold for her and wanted to be prepared for anything. Hopefully, her lights would be working if she needed them, but judging on the past couple of days, she couldn't be too sure.

She fiddled with her hair, strands flying wildly across her face. A woman named Atla had come in to do her hair and makeup. She brushed the tangles out and left her hair hanging loose against her back with a small crown placed at the top of her head. Her makeup, however, was anything but simple. Atla said she wanted to combine ancestral tradition with modern elements. While it was customary in some traditions to decorate a woman's arms and legs with red feathers, Atla decided that might be a bit uncomfortable. She let the dark red robe covering Iris' shoulders speak for itself. She then placed small, shimmering crystals and stones around her eyes and cheeks, and painted her eyelids a sheer blue. While Iris was still on edge, something about Atla had been so calming.

Jasper was currently sticking his head outside the door to her room, peering at the crowd of Coatl members taking their seats. He spotted his girlfriend, Talia, waiting for him near the front, and he waved to her before closing the door. Spinning around on his heel, he approached a distressed Iris with a pair of handcuffs in his hands. "Okay," he breathed, "the ceremony is about to start. Why are you pacing so much?"

Iris furrowed her brow. Was it really not obvious? For Christ's sake, she was marrying a guy she hardly even knew for some cult tradition!

She wanted to scream. She wanted to yell such horrible obscenities at Jasper, but knew it wouldn't do anything. Instead, she smiled softly and said through clenched teeth, "I'm fine."

"Alright, alright. Yeah, me too." He looked over his shoulder at the door.

Iris followed his stare and lifted a brow. "Are you okay?"

"Me? Oh, yeah. Yes! Totally." His fake smile faded to an expression of panic, and suddenly, his eyes went wide with unease. "Actually, I don't know. This is just a really big day and we don't know what the future holds once you two are united. I mean, you guys would be making a new world, right? This could either go two ways: you two rejoice with us as your loyal followers, or you kill us all as the start of the new world as we know it. Like, boom! We're nothing but ash. I hope that doesn't happen, honestly. I don't know if I'm ready to die, you know? I hope –"

She held up a hand. "Wait, wait, wait. How do you know that will happen?"

"Because," he shrugged, "Nick told us either scenario could happen once the ceremony ended. The universe will decide our fate."

Iris leaned back. He was going to kill all his followers. There was no way this was ending with anyone getting out unscathed. Holy, fucking SHIT. If this was all real, if them being married would enhance their powers – he was going to kill everybody in his wake, even those loyal to him. Iris hadn't just agreed to marry a stranger. She was marrying a complete psychopath.

"Who knows, though, right?" Jasper laughed nervously as someone knocked on the door. "That's our cue. The ceremony has begun. Are you ready?"

She bit the inside of her cheek. "I mean –"

He then held up the pair of handcuffs. "Gotta put you in these first. Hope you don't mind."

Iris frowned, swinging around her hand that was still chained to the sofa. "I think I'm used to it by now."

Jasper flipped her arm over and unlocked the chain with a key that usually hung on his pants. Iris deadpanned. If she had known this whole time that he had a key to unchain her right on his hip, she would've been out of here days ago. The chain fell directly at her feet. She was finally free – for a moment, that is. It felt like she hadn't tasted freedom for an eternity, but it was taken away just as quickly. Jasper secured the new handcuffs on her wrists and looked up at her with a smile.

He ran towards the door and swung it open, beckoning her forward. Iris clenched and unclenched her hands as she approached him. Jasper offered her his arm and with a wavering frown, she took it, allowing him to lead her out.

This was the first time she had been out of her room in a week and a half, but it still wasn't freeing. She was allowed outside to sell herself over to someone else. And she was still handcuffed. What a twisted way of freedom.

Apparently, they decided having the ceremony inside their warehouse was a fun and new way to host a wedding. They did the best they could, she justified, given the circumstances. Turquoise stones hung from the rafters and all around them, while small candles were arranged along the floor. A metal bin was placed before the Justice of the Peace with a fire blazing out of it, which Iris could only guess served as a sort of hearth. Nick waited right by the Justice of the Peace, grinning, and his followers sat in tiny rows before him, all adorning the same turquoise necklace.

For an occasion that seemed rooted in tradition, there was something so modern about this wedding. Like Atla had done, it looked like they were mixing the old and new. Iris highly doubted a Justice of the Peace married couples during the times of the Aztec gods and goddesses. There were people in the crowd of different sizes, colors, genders, even those that didn't believe in this ancestral calling. They believe in Nick and his promises. They were all following one leader who wanted to be the god from stories he learned as a child and he was willing to give everything up for it, including his loyal members.

Jasper sent Iris a shit-eating grin as he handed her off to Nick, who brought both of them towards the Justice of the Peace. They stood in front of the metal hearth, and Iris watched the flames flutter into the air before turning to look at the crowd. All strangers, watching her being married off to another stranger. Wasn't your wedding day supposed to be the biggest day of your life? Instead, she was stuck in a blue dress and she didn't have her mom crying in the audience. Not even her Aunt Maeve that she always wanted to meet. No family, only strangers. It was so abnormal.

Where the fuck was Dick when she needed him? Had nobody found her text suspicious at all? Maybe Jasper hadn't even sent it.

"Friends," the officer began, startling Iris. Her necklace flashed rapidly when Nick took her hands in his own. "We are joined here today to share with Nicholas Raphael Patli and Iris –"

The Justice of the Peace cleared his throat, glancing her way. Iris narrowed her eyes. "Iris Anna Kingsley," she corrected.

He nodded. "Ah, yes," he cleared his throat once more. "We are here to share with Nicholas Raphael Patli and Iris Anna Kingsley –" He smiled in her direction. She didn't. "– An important moment in their lives, and a very important moment in our own lives. Today, they have decided to live out the rest of their lives as one and be united for us all to see. At their uniting, they will blossom a new world from their own very hands. We are witnessing not just a bond today, but a rebirth. We shall walk the earth with gods once again."

Iris' face twisted. Was the fucking officer in on it too?

"Now is the time that I may ask," he continued, "who here supports this couple in their marriage?"

Iris frowned, looking to the crowd, "Well –"

Her voice went dead once she saw that every hand in the audience was raised. From what she knew of the few weddings she'd attended, this was where the father or someone important gave the bride away, but the Coatls were conducting this in terms of support, rather than with family members. Iris closed her eyes for a moment. Could this night get any worse?

"Excellent," the officer hummed and clasped his hands together. "It is foretold that once the reincarnations of the Fire God and Water Goddess are joined once again, they will have the power to give us everything we've ever wanted. We welcome this new life with open arms, as well as their marriage. The time of the gods is upon us, and we will not cower away."

Nick smirked, and his eyes softened as he glanced at the Justice of the Peace. The officer sighed happily and reached over the fire to place a hand on top of their conjoined grips. "A joining like this – a love like this – is going to shake the earth forever. The world is not prepared for a Coatl future, but they will be. I know these two are going to make a great one."

Yeah, right after Nick kills everyone when the ceremony is over, she thought to herself.

Wiping the perspiration off his brow, the officer removed his hand and breathed out a heavy sigh. Nick turned to Iris again, and just his stare made her whole body shake. And not in a good way, either. It was in a way that chilled her to the bone, that made her terrified for what came next. She really didn't want to have to witness the end of this ceremony. She had to do something. But what? Did she have the strength to burn away these cuffs?

"I shouldn't have to say this next part, but for tradition purposes ..." The officer wrinkled his nose. "If either of you or anyone else present knows any just cause why this unity should not take place, I ask that you make it known at this time or remain silent."

Iris couldn't breathe. She didn't even want to look out into the crowd. It wasn't like anyone was going to help her anyway. She just kept staring into Nick's black eyes, watching the way his lips pulled into a wicked smirk, and how his hands squeezed her own so tightly that she began to sweat. This couldn't be happening. Everyone was going to die. This was all a sham. She had to do something or –

"Wonderful. No objections." The officer released a soft sigh of relief. "Now, Nicholas, I need you to please tie your cape to your bride's skirt before the vows –"

A grunt echoed outside the warehouse walls, and then an alarming screech. The big exit doors flew open. Everyone turned in their seat, but Iris couldn't make herself move.

"I object, sir."

Wait a goddamn minute.

Iris Kingsley knew that voice. She would know his tone anywhere. With wide eyes, she turned to the end of the make-shift aisle, where he waited with two unconscious men hanging from his gloved fingertips.

Dick mother fucking Grayson, dressed head-to-toe in full Robin armor, blood and grime coating his suit. He always knew how to surprise her at the worst moments.

Nick unlatched his hands from Iris' almost immediately and glared towards Dick. "What is the meaning of this?" He looked around at the stunned crowd. "How the fuck did Robin get in?"

"Obviously, I came here to object to the wedding," Dick smirked, revealing the tiniest bit of teeth. "You see ... I think I fucked your fiancé."

Iris grinned bigger than ever before.

And then her hands started to glow.

The lights seared through her handcuffs almost instantly and dropped to the floor. Iris looked to Dick before finally meeting Nick's bewildered stare. She plucked the crown from her hairline and tossed it to Jasper's girlfriend in the front row. "You know what I think?" She continued, taking one step towards Nick. "I think this wedding is over."

Nick exclaimed, "SEIZE THEM BOTH –"

But then he was cut off by Iris' fist pounding into his chest.

A war erupted then. Dozens of Nick's guards burst through the epicenter of the warehouse, running right for Dick. The crowd began to flee, except for a few loyal members that lunged for Dick head-on. Iris didn't have time to worry about the rest of them. Nick fell into the Justice of the Peace as he tried running away. They both toppled over, but only Nick was able to get to his feet. He dove towards Iris, reaching behind her head and grabbing the root of her hair. She released a yelp, but wouldn't give him the satisfaction of screaming her ass off, no matter how much it hurt.

"You will let this ceremony happen," he seethed in her ear, "and you will marry me. Your little superhero friend cannot save you. There is no way out of this fate."

"Yeah, there is, asshole." Iris lifted her glowing hand. "Ever heard of cheating fate?"

Her hand smacked down on his arm, burning him instantly. Nick screamed and retracted his hold, looking down at the sizzling flesh. He was distracted. She had a moment to strike. Iris grabbed him by the collar and shoved her foot into his gut. He slid across the floor.

She plopped herself on top of him, sending her fist into his face several times. Nick chuckled as blood leaked from his nose, which just made her anger skyrocket. Iris held his arms down as he tried to lift them. Small flames erupted at his fingertips, but they fizzled out immediately.

Her necklace burned against her chest and her glowing blue eyes were so hypnotic that Nick couldn't look away. Hovering one of the lights over his cheek, Iris watched the skin slowly sizzle away. "You were going to kill everyone here, weren't you?" Nick laughed at her question. Iris tugged on his hairline and punched his head into the floor. "ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

"What if I was? They are willing to die for me." He grunted, licking at the blood that reached his lips. "Why does it matter when the end result is a new world – one built for us, by the Old Gods of the earth?"

"You're sick," she hissed. "The only one who deserves to die is you, asswipe."

Nick snickered and rolled his head to the side. "You can't kill me." His eyes flickered towards her. "I'm going to be a god."

Iris allowed a twisted smile to play at her lips. "But not yet, unfortunately."

She pressed her hand to his cheek. He began to shriek as every inch of his flesh scorched at her touch. Iris' lips curled with satisfaction. Nick's scream echoed in her ears, bouncing off the walls. She lifted her hand the slightest bit, hovering her palm over his eye, and watched as his irises soaking in the piercing, blue light. Nick convulsed underneath her, but Iris was strong enough to hold him down.

"Iris!"

She swung her head in Dick's direction and noticed the sea of bodies pooled around his feet. He was currently fighting off two of Nick's biggest guards. Both were each a foot above Dick's height, and larger than most men she'd ever seen. Iris lightly lifted herself off Nick's chest, still holding him down, but giving the leader a spare moment to breathe and clear his fogging head. Her palm waivered ever so slightly as she watched Dick send one guard to the floor with his bo-staff.

"I could use a little help over here!" He cried out.

"Just one sec," Iris muttered, turning back to Nick. What she had expected to see was a blind and unconscious Nick laying underneath her weight. But she was completely blindsided, and nothing – not even Dick – could stop what came next.

When her eyes met Nick's again, he was sitting up, using his two elbows for support. His stare was foggy, but that didn't make him any less resilient. Iris opened her mouth to say something, and then moved back. She wasn't quick enough. Before she could utter a single word, Nick shoved her off, causing Iris to bump the back of her head on the floor.

She groaned at the hard impact. They switched sides. Nick quickly placed himself on her chest, and suddenly, Iris could hardly breathe. He held down one of her arms when she tried to burn him again, and then took her other hand with a sick smile on his face. Iris screamed, but it was too late. As Dick turned around at the sound of her voice, Nick already had her palm raised over her right eye and began to blind her.

Dick tried running forward, but he was pulled back by the guard who just wouldn't quit. Iris fought against Nick's hold. She tried pushing him off. She tried wiggling out of his grip. But the seconds were ticking on by, and her vision was getting hazy. The light was sucking everything out of her. Her breathing became more and more heavy, but she needed to fight it. She needed to get him off.

Mustering all the strength left in her body, Iris closed her eyes and hauled herself up, breaking from his powerful grasp. "You fucking asshole!" She hollered, voice strained, while latching her hands around his neck.

Nick choked, but Iris got no satisfaction as she realized how unclear her right eye was. She couldn't see out of it anymore. A tear slipped down her cheek. She allowed the moment of vulnerability to consume her, and maybe that was her worst mistake of all. Her grip loosened. She started to fully break down. Sobs racked her whole body, and soon enough, her hands fell limp at her sides. The lights flickered. Nick heaved, but he was still alert. He wouldn't let this moment get away.

As Iris cried, looking around at the innocent, unconscious bodies around her, she let herself become completely defenseless. Nick then wound his hands into her hair and snapped his neck forward, striking his forehead against her own.

The last thing Iris saw was Dick rushing towards her as her vision went entirely black.

•••

A/N: well.....,,..,....hi?

THAT WAS A ROLLERCOASTER. ONLY ONE CHAPTER AND AN EPILOGUE LEFT, FOLKS!!! I'm so sad and I don't wanna let iris and dick go, but I really love their ending and it leaves some room open to continue this into the plot of the actual show (if I wanted to). that being said..........

I'll be posting my battinson fic, TWO EVILS, very soon!!!! most likely, tomorrow! it's going to be in the same universe as this fic and will be in the series I've created for my dc fics called the WILD WORLD SERIES. hope y'all are excited!!!