The Entity of Departure

Death Stroke (Slade Wilson)

The moonlight was exceptionally arresting tonight as I gazed upon the city that I often lost interest in. I was particularly agitated this night; for not only had I just cheated my own demise with my negotiation with the Ravager himself, but I was also hired by Skaath to find his daughter. As for my feelings, despite having horrible luck with apprentices and well, dying, I was particularly playful and just happy to be alive. However, my mortality wasn't complete per se, for I was, in other words, a living skeleton; but there were perks to working for an interdimensional demon. I was more powerful despite my vulnerable body, and working for an employer allowed me to be more reserved, yet up front and personal. Today was a good day, and I was going to deliver my end of the bargain all for my own skin. I hated this world, and couldn't care less to see it burn. What did I have to lose? My wife hated me, and hell she shot me. My son won' talk to me, and despite literally not being able to, resents me anyway. I guess you could say I'm not such a nice guy, and these days my feelings are a bit short supplied.

Lost in my own thoughts, I realized I shouldn't spend my entire time standing on top of a building. It was then I decided to get to work; I then breathed in the intoxicating aroma of Jump City, almost as if I were expanding my non-existent lungs, and I jumped into the dark abyss that I found so insignificant along with everything else. The end of the world was coming, and I awaited it with anticipation.

"Now, where are they?"

I muttered to myself softly as I decided where and how to create enough chaos to obtain their attention. It was my full intention to make this meeting invigorating. As far as the titans knew, I no longer existed. Terra obliterated me the last they even confronted me. The dumbfounded look on their faces created chills down my spine as I grew more and more anxious with animation. What would they say? What would they be thinking? I conceived a few ideas as to how they might react. I eventually tracked my way to disturbances created by that fool Arthur Light. They were fighting him off, and somehow struggling along the coast. I merely observed, as to why I could not say. I guess you could put it was that I missed them, and fighting them. Or that I was at a loss for words because I hadn't thought I would see them again, let alone any living being. All I could say was that I was intrigued, as if watching a car crash right in front of me. And then there was her, my mission; my end goal that would gain me my flesh and blood again.

Raven

I just wanted this horrific day to end; there was no conceivable reason to celebrate my birth. I was a monster, an annihilator, and pure evil created from my demolisher father. I tried so hard to renounce that life; hell to pretend it didn't exist. But my anxiety told me otherwise, and I wanted to lock myself away in my room and pray it wouldn't come. Instead I was here, fighting Light, and angry about it. I wanted it to be over but he just kept coming, and knocking around my team. All the anxiety caused me to panic, and end it. I decided to terrify him, for I'm sure he remembers our last encounter all too well.

To my surprise, it worked. He turned himself in after nearly fainting. Good to know my "creepiness" can come in handy huh? With our success I decided to return to my room with haste.

"Don't you want to come with us Raven?"

"No I just want to be home before midnight."

I disappeared before they could get any words in. I'm sure they were worried, but if they knew they would hate me if they knew what I was. Even if they didn't, they'd concern all of their time worrying about me anyway.

As hours passed I stared at my clock, and I felt almost childish. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, and all I could do was think of my cursed birthday. Why? Why did this have to happen? I tried to rationalize with myself, tried to convince myself it wasn't real, just a story the monks had told me. I couldn't have been more wrong, I could feel all the terror and animosity in my gut that was to come. I then decided to mediate to pass the time, to maybe free my mind of these burdens for a while. It was then that it happened….

Smoke consumed my room as fire invaded and wreaked havoc among my books and curtains. The mark of Scaath and the prophecy invaded my body as I heard that terrible voice that sent goosebumps along my extremities and down my neck. I shivered as the tone danced along my ears creating a familiar surrounding that I long despised.

"What you have concealed you shall become!"

The words echoed through my brain as the fear and the fire started to consume me. I screamed in panic not knowing what else I could do. It was then that it all disappeared and a knock vibrated, originating from my door. The alarm went off and I knew what was about to come. As I answered Robin, looking concerned more than usual, said the word that I needed for a distraction. The one word I never thought I'd want to here on a normal basis.

"Trouble."

I waited in the factory that reeked of metal, dust, and sweat. I didn't mind it though, and I laughed as I realized before I would never have been in this situation. Normally I'd hire a goon to go for me, but things were a bit different now. So, this is what it's like doing the dirty work?" I chuckled to myself out of spite. It was a comical situation in dead, almost poetic. I leaned back, casually awaiting my long lost foes. How should I greet them? Should I straight out blow their minds with my new found power? Or should I greet them in a more formal matter, and express my feelings towards their absence in my life; or rather my absence in theirs? This was a dilemma indeed because I do like to make a rather memorable entrance. It was then that I heard them coming, for they were always so loud and never concealed from me.

"Titans- no…" Robin said. Their faces were paler than ghosts. I guess you could say I was a ghost to them. I expected no less now that I think about it.

"Well, it has been a while Titans. I must say, ever feel great just to be…what's a good word? Alive?"

"Terra…she destroyed you!" Beast Boy could barely annunciate.

"My, that was some time ago now wasn't it? Shall we get things started?" I then mustered a great amount of strength and sent massive multitudes of fire towards them, watching them tremble at the conception of my existence. I looked towards Raven, my target, my salvation, and she started doe eyed at my mark of scaath that made its home upon my forehead. I laughed maniacally.

"Hello birthday girl. I have a message from your father. I'm sure you're dying to hear it."