I do not own Teen Titans!
Continuing from the last chapter...
"Is she awake yet? I'm getting rather impatient!" Someone shouted. His smooth accent was marred by the malice and hostility his tone projected. The voice was strange in that it seemed to surround the room's occupants, rather than emanate from a single person.
"Her current level of brain activity would indicate she is slowly reaching consciousness." A dull monotone answered. Her voice seemed similar to Raven's, however the voice sounded more robotic and lifeless than the grey Titan's.
"What do you say we help our little white Raven wake up from her nap?" This voice was easily recognizable and could only belong to one of Raven's worst enemies. The sound of footsteps drawing ever closer to her half-conscious form didn't help her to awaken any faster.
"Time to wake up."
Pain immediately followed Slade's words, and Raven's eyes shot open from the hard fist that cleanly knocked the air out from her lungs. Raven couldn't do anything but gasp, until her breath returned. Raven could now notice her arms were shackled to the ceiling. She also noticed all her armor was gone, with only her cloak and sash remaining to give the sorceress a small amount of decency. Try as she might to cover her exposed chest, she could not succeed in moving her arms more than a few inches.
"Now now Raven. There's no use in struggling. After all, the gas you inhaled should keep your powers nullified for the moment. But just in case…" Slade pulled out a remote control and pushed a few buttons, which revealed a compartment in the ceiling above them.
From the ceiling a monitor dropped down until it seemed to float at Slade's side. Its screen was static until Slade pushed another button, which cleared the screen and made Raven's heart drop to her stomach.
"I have taken the proper precautions should you try and resist." Slade spoke as if the image on the screen was anything but gruesome.
On the screen Changeling was strapped down to a large operating table. The camera seemed to be attached to the ceiling and looked down upon the helpless man as he struggled and roared in his bonds. His eyes, Raven could tell, had changed to the Beast's signature red and black. His body was in horrible shape, with cuts and bruises marring his muscular frame which still bled freely. The camera moved to get a better angle of the Changeling's fruitless efforts, which did not go unnoticed by his sharpened senses.
"Slade! I know you can hear me! If you touch her…" The Beast Roared, but was interrupted by Slade's voice which filled the room from a hidden speaker system.
"Your empty threats are useless, Beastboy. Raven has already been given a rude awakening, and is watching your fruitless struggle as we speak." Slade turned to Raven and crouched down in front of her. He forcefully grabbed her chin and made her look at the television screen.
"Say hello Raven, or maybe you should say goodbye. This may be the last time you see your precious mate." Slade threatened.
"Changeling, I'll get us out of this. Just please stay calm until then. I don't want you hurt any more than you already are." Raven tried to say as calmly as possible, but her voice seemed to waver at the sight of her mate's beaten body.
"I'm not giving up! I'm going to save you!" The Beast shouted, and with a roar his body began to grow larger, until the bonds holding him to the table seemed ready to snap.
"I see you haven't learned from your last three attempts, 'Changeling'. This will be your last chance before I grow tired of your foolishness." Slade bitterly acknowledged the new codename, and calmly pressed a button on his remote, which released thick plumes of gas into the room Changeling occupied.
Slade noticed Raven had begun to growl, and her eyes started to glow a dull red. He immediately pulled a syringe out of his utility belt and stabbed it into Raven's neck.
"I don't need another raging demon to deal with, Raven. I only ask for your cooperation, and I may consider releasing him." Slade calmly spoke as he pumped the strange liquid into Raven's bloodstream.
Raven's eyes stopped glowing, and her growl turned into panting as she suddenly felt like she was on the verge of death. Her entire body felt utterly exhausted of energy, yet she was somehow able to remain conscious.
"Another dose of the inhibitor I just gave you will surely kill. I won't have any regrets ending your life, but I will give you the chance to save yourself. After all, with you dead it would set my plans back quite a bit." Slade let go of Raven's chin, and pulled the syringe from her neck. Raven seemed utterly spent, but was somehow able to speak.
"What… do you… want?" Raven panted heavily, trying to remain conscious in order to at least hear Slade's offer. In her right mind she would have outright refused to listen to him. However, with her mate held captive, and both their lives hinging on a madman's whim; she had no choice but to hear him out.
Raven heard a familiar laugh from behind Slade. It seemed that was Slade's cue to allow whoever it was to speak as he moved away from Raven's body in order for her to see who exactly it was she was dealing with. Raven recognized Ravager who stood a fair distance away. Her hands were behind her back, as if she was hiding something from view. Since the mysterious laughter was definitely male she could only guess there was one more villain in the room with Slade and Ravager. Raven's eyes scanned the room trying to find the next villain who she would be dealing with, but she only noticed the two masked mercenaries.
Ravager brought whatever she was hiding into view of the sorceress, and noticed it was a book of all things. She held the book out in front of her, and it opened by itself. The pages flipped until a torn page was reached. On the torn page a set of piercing illustrated eyes stared angrily at Raven, but upon noticing her beaten and disgraced form the eyes seemed to open wider into an almost ecstatic expression as they greedily scanned her naked form.
"Sweet, Raven. I almost regret not taking you when I had the chance." The book spoke. It flew from Ravager's hands, and floated in the air in front of Raven.
"Malchior!" Raven whimpered, unable to fully show her malice to the evil trapped within the cursed book due to the inhibitors effects.
"Indeed it is I, The Dread Dragon Malchior! I won't waste any time explaining what I want, since you should know by now what I desire." Malchior waited patiently for Raven's response.
"What could you possibly benefit from freeing Malchior, Slade? You should know by now he is deceiving you." Raven's head swiveled to glare at Slade, and could see his exposed eye squint.
"I assure you, Raven that everything will play out to my benefit in the end. Malchior already knows he must tread carefully when in my company." Slade was sure to leave his intentions ambiguous. After all he didn't want either Raven or Malchior knowing his true intentions.
"Such is true, for I don't plan on loosing such a valuable asset when I am set free. Now Raven, why don't we leave you to think carefully about your next course of action. In your current state you won't be able to accomplish much of anything. However, for the sake of your precious mate I hope you choose wisely."
Slade and Malchior left the room, leaving Ravager to guard the currently powerless sorceress. Once Slade and the floating book called Malchior left the room with the large metal door sliding closed, Ravager suddenly became alive and ran to Raven's side.
"We don't have much time before my father reaches the surveillance room. I know you already know the spell to set Malchior free, but I believe Malchior has possessed my father into carrying out his will." Ravager knelt next to Raven and whispered into her ear.
"But how? He seemed perfectly sane…" Raven was hushed by Ravager and she continued to whisper into Ravens ear.
"We don't have time on our side, so I only ask that you listen. If you agree with what I have planned, I will make sure your mate is set free." Ravager leaned back from Raven's ear for a brief moment in order to allow Raven the opportunity to agree and listen to what she had to offer.
Raven had a hard time believing the girl who had tried to kill both her and Changeling previously. Raven quickly tried using her empathy to gauge the young mercenary's intentions, but felt nothing. Raven didn't feel any resistance when she attempted to read her emotions, but rather detected a lack of anything Raven's empathetic powers could detect. Raven felt shock down to her core, and felt her hatred for the one Ravager called her father grow steadily. He stripped Ravager of her emotions in order to make her a more effective killing machine. The similarities between Raven and Ravager had almost left Raven speechless, but instead of dwelling on it for too long Raven could only nod her head and agree with Ravager's plans. She would listen to what Ravager had to say, and try to free her mate. If everything went well she would also try to save Ravager from Slade. She didn't know if Ravager deserved it, but she knew that no one would willingly volunteer to undergo such treatment.
"While you were in your… mirror world, I was tasked with creating a spell that would free Malchior. In that time I created one that would destroy him. All you have to do is play along and instead of reciting the spell you know will free Malchior, you read this…" Ravager pulled out a hastily scribbled note with the spell Raven needed to recite.
Raven memorized the little scrap of paper that was shoved in front of her with ease.
Hezberek Et Morine…
Gost Wenthen Verbis Nex…
Ind Obrium Bis Pendule…
Auferre Et Dare…
Ad Malum Incarnates.
The first half of the spell Raven recognized from what Malchior had taught her. The rest she had to admit was foreign to her, and without access to her spell books she would not have the means to properly decipher its meaning.
As soon as Raven looked up after memorizing the spell, Ravager hid the scrap of paper back to where it had come from and leapt away from Raven. As soon as she landed and resumed guard over Raven the cameras above them started to sweep the room, looking for anything out of place.
Ravager watched Ravens facial expressions change as she thought about the piece of information she had just been given. She looked utterly conflicted, like an animal backed into a corner. Her next decision could cost her the ultimate price and Ravager knew the choice she would make. It was the only choice she could make if she wanted to get out of her current situation alive. Well… alive long enough to go through with her father's plans.
As Ravager analyzed the empath in chains she also noticed the cameras stop their automated perimeter sweeps and focused on Raven as well. She knew her father was watching the sorceress as well and was waiting for her to give in to Ravagers "scheme."
"See her expression? It will only be a matter of minutes before she gives in. She always was one of the weaker willed of the Titans." Slade mentioned calmly to no one in particular. The room seemed to reply with a scoff, Malchior's voice seemingly coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.
"I can attest to that. She could never see past her current situation. It was how I so easily took advantage of her in the past. Unfortunately she is not one to be trifled with due to her incredible power." Malchior floated to Slade's side and the pages that locked his physical form away turned, until the torn page which illustrated his eyes was opened.
"Agreed, which is why we will end both her and Changeling once she…"
"NO!" Shouted Malchior in protest interrupting and slightly infuriating Slade in the process.
Slade looked over to see Malchior's eyes glued to the screen witch captured Raven's fully nude form. He could tell there was hunger in his gaze and knew what Malchior wanted before he even uttered a word.
"No. I cannot let her off with such light punishment for what she did to me. After milenia of imprisonment I had a glimpse at freedom! Freedom which she so quickly tore away. Raven can't be let free from this world so easily. Not without her heart and her body thoroughly broken." Malchior's voice dripped with venom and lust as he spoke, his illustrated eyes never leaving the monitor as he greedily took in her form.
"So you want to Rape her? What a roundabout way to say so. You can have her once she frees you, but only if we can manage to keep her powers in check." Slade coldly replied, knowing full well he might as well humor the ancient being.
Malchior choose to ignore his statement knowing he would get his way regardless. He was confident in his abilities his true form gave him. He could do as he pleased once he was free of his leather-bound prison. Slade however looked at the large monitor witch he had zoomed into Ravens face in order to analyze her features. He noticed how Ravens features seemed to change into a look of defeat and knew she was ready to cooperate.
"It is time, Malchior." Slade began to walk out of the surveillance room without waiting for a reply from Malchior. Slade could almost imagine the crazy grin Malchior would have been sporting due to his laughter as he floated up to match Slade's stride. Slade almost let out a small chuckle himself, knowing full well the tome's mirth would be short lived.
Hello... Its been awhile everyone. I honestly did not think I would be able to come back to this piece with the way my life has changed since I took a break from writing. No I'm not religious or renouncing perverseness or anything. Its was just difficult trying to jump back into this after having been gone so long. I would read reviews from you guys and it seriously ate at me that I couldn't think of a way to jump back into this story I loved and devoted so much of my time to. If it wasn't for the people reading this or the people who helped me along the way as I wrote, I wouldn't be here with a new chapter. I don't know if i will be back for another chapter, but I hope and WANT to be back for another. I jumped into this thinking I could blast through this story without any breaks and laughed to myself at the people who got burnt out with their stories. It happens, and things don't go according to plan like I thought they did.
Thank you to all of you who followed and reviewed so persistently. I don't care about the numbers of views or reviews this thing gets but rather the fact that others are enjoying something I made. (well... borrowed PLEASE DON'T SUE ME! I OWN NOTHING!) XD anyways I had to reread this multiple times in order to get back to this point. Let me know what you think. I hope I'm not too rusty, but I know this is a bit short compared to other chapters. Hopefully I'm able to come back to write longer chapters. Until then happy reading everyone!
-RebellionRising