The room had erupted into utter chaos. Fear and tension was palpable. The wealthier citizens of Jump City were huddled at the back of the ballroom. They had tried to escape out of the exits, only to find them locked from the outside. A cacophony of sound echoed as panic increased, simultaneously corresponding as both increased. They quaked as a whole, overwhelming and frightened.

Pitch black eyes skimmed over the faces of the innocent. A sick, twisted smile curled on her lips as her dark heels clipped against the marble floor. She stalked across the room, slow and confident—she was prowling. She was on the hunt. She came to a slow stop under a chandelier, gaze snapped to meet amethyst eyes. Raven returned the stare defiantly. She wouldn't go down without a fight.

Strong hands suddenly held her back as her friends circled around her. She watched in awe as they created a barrier between her and the demonic demigod glaring their way. Somehow, Beastboy and Terra had found them. The green superhero snarled as he transformed into a leperd, and Terra's eyes began to glow as she prepared to defend her friend. Starfire saddled up beside Raven, a green light encompassing her hands as righteous fury surely filled her. The sound of Cyborg's sonic cannon locking-n-loading had her looking to her other side where he flanked her. Robin blocked her front, his staff out and ready.

Tears burned her eyes as she held them back. She opened her mouth to thank them. To tell them how much it meant to her. To say all of the things she hadn't been able to because she hadn't let herself feel it in the first place.

The hands holding her back tugged her against a firm chest, and she looked up into a single light eye. Slade stared back knowingly. He embraced her comfortingly, but it was tense. She knew that it was for her. That he was reaching into her, and that he knew. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek before his tough exterior fell into place.

"This is just… sweet," Christina laughed, and it echoed eerily off the walls. "Switching teams, Slade?"

"I switched a long time ago," he replied dryly, stare cold on the woman before them. "And I never played on yours in the first place."

She hummed, bemused. "I suppose you'd like to think that."

"I know that," he sneered, grip tightening around Raven's waist.

Her cold gaze skimmed over their hardened faces. This fight was going to be fun. She felt a thrill run through her. It had been a long time since she'd gotten a blood bath. She was hoping that this would prove to be one. A devilish smile wormed its way onto her lacquered lips, and she winked at the group. They seemed to all tense up simultaneously, ready for whatever the woman was going to throw at them.

"Do you all think that you can defend her?" She smiled with a tilt of her head. "You trying to keep your little princess safe? It's too bad you're not just up against me, isn't it?"

Silence rang out next. Eerie and ominous. There was a loud bang of the double door entrance swinging open. A cruel smile spread on her face as the sound of low moaning filled the air. She had been busy these last few months. Busy killing and reanimating.

Oh, yes. There would be a blood bath.

The smell of rotting flesh filled the air. Raven's eyes widened in horror as Christine smiled at her knowingly. It wasn't long before a hoard of living dead had amassed behind her.

"That's new," Cyborg croaked and Beast Boy growled in responds. "What exactly is the plan here, Robin?"

Their fearless leader gulped, a cold sweat dripping down his brow. "We fight. They're just zombies, right? Shouldn't be too hard. Slade, you get Raven someplace safe—"

"You're an idiot if you think I'm just going to leave you guys—"

"It's the safest bet, Raven." Robin cut her off, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Slade, get her out of here."

"I'm not—"

Robin spun to face her. He gripped her shoulders tightly, giving her a small shake. She gasped, eyes going wide as he leaned in to hold her. She buried into the embrace, fear licking at the back of her mind. She didn't want to leave her friends—her family. She didn't want to see them get hurt trying to save her.

Over her shoulder, Robin glared at Slade. "Keep her safe."

"Always," he replied dryly, but there was a hard sheen in his gaze that completely convinced Robin. He didn't have a doubt in his mind that the villain would risk his life for his best friend.

Pulling back slightly, he cupped Raven's cheek. A tear escaped her, and he brushed it away with his thumb. She shook her head, not wanting to believe that they were throwing themselves into such a dangerous situation. She just wanted this all to be over.

Pressing a quick kiss to her cheek, he lingered there for a moment before pressing her back into Slade's arms. "Go. Now. We'll hold her off."

Raven barely had time to protest before Slade was sweeping her away. Robin watched, a solemn look on his face as his archenemy escorted his friend. He saw the look in her eyes as she cast a worried glance back at them. It wasn't long before she was out of sight, and Robin was cringing at the sound of the demigod's laughter.

Turning around, he came to the front of his group, bow staff still out and ready. He glared heatedly at the woman, ready to tear her a new one. Everything seemed to tense as the moans of the undead mixed with the desperate whimpers of the living. They had people to protect and zombie ass to kick. He twirled his staff, taking a slow step forward as Christine did, too. She smiled charmingly at him.

"Is the dramatic goodbye over?" She asked coldly.

"Yeah," Robin nodded. "You finished making half-baked insults?"

She laughed again, black eyes shifting until they were alight with yellow. "She does have good taste, doesn't she? Who wouldn't want a charmer like you?" She scanned him avidly, and he swallowed a shiver. "Tell you what, lover boy… When Raven takes over the world for me, I might just keep you around as a lap dog."

Robin sneered. "Can we get on with this, already?"

"So impatient," she tsked, shaking her head. "But if that's how you want it… I suppose we could play it your way."

Holding up her arms, a wave of magick rolled through the room, and suddenly all the lights were out. The pedestrians screamed in fear, and the Teen Titans tensed up. Ready for anything. Ready for an onslaught in the dark. Ready for—

"DJ, bump that track!" Christine shouted excitedly, and music filled the air.

The ballroom became thick with bass and flashing lights. It was like they were suddenly in a nightclub. It might have been strangely comforting if it weren't for the fact that the DJ's skin was a sickly green color. Christine smiled darkly before gesturing grandly with her hands for her monsters to go forward and attack.

They moved pretty quickly for the recently deceased, and they were on the Titans in an instant. Though they were taking them out two or three at a time, there were still a lot of undead to deal with. They swarmed them and surrounded them. They went past them, attacking the pedestrians that were locked in there with them. Christine smiled, a small group of her minions still with her. Seeing that everyone else was far too preoccupied, she moved, the small group following close behind. She had a bird to catch. The battle had begun.

She wanted to go back. She needed to go back. She couldn't just abandon them like this. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she was pulled along the corridor. Her vision was blurring and she could barely keep up in her shoes. She didn't even notice when Slade stopped them and pulled her aside.

"Raven, look at me." He commanded, and she blinked up at him. "You have to pull yourself together. We need to get out of here."

"But they're—I mean, we left them. I left them." Her voice broke.

"They can take care of themselves," He tried to console her, but she seemed so scattered. So lost. Cupping her face in his hands, he forced her to look at him. "Raven. They can take care of themselves."

"I know," she whispered back, half hysteric. "I know that. I know."

"Good," he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "We have to get moving."

Taking her hand again, was about to pull her down the hallway. But she stopped him for a brief moment, chucking off her heels. He chuckled lightly before they were on the move again. They could already hear the growing chaos in the ballroom not far behind them. She could already feel Christine tracking them down.

It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It made her shiver and pick up her pace. They had to move. They had to get away. She knew that if Christine caught her, it wouldn't be long before the world came crumbling down. It wouldn't be long until her friends started suffering at her hand. Her mind throbbed at the thought, and her emotions scurried about inside of her, trying to get ready for what might happen.

Robin grunted, swinging his staff at the zombie's head. It toppled over with a groan; it's head making a sickening crunch. The fearless leader moved onto the next one, treating it about the same way. Same ending included. The entire group was cutting through the zombies with a strange amount of ease—the only problem was the fact that there were so many of them.

For every Titan, there was at least five undead. At least. They had their hands full trying to protect the innocent. They had no time to worry about where Christine was going. They didn't have a chance to shut off the flashing lights and thumping music.

Something hit his back, and he startled around, ready to attack. A metal hand caught his staff and he blinked owlishly at Cyborg. The other man smiled grimly before shooting his canon at three zombies, wiping them all out in one move. Robin tossed him a grin as he turned back to his own undead menaces.

Slade moved quickly, pulling Raven into him as he spun, hiding them from the undead that were just down the hall. She pressed tightly to him, using her mind to reach out and feel. Christine wasn't there. It was safe to move forward. For the moment.

He reached into his jacket, digging around for a second before he revealed a gun. Raven's gaze widened and darted from the gun to his face. Her lips parted, but he hushed her with a chaste kiss. Stepping away from her, he moved closer to the corner and glanced around it, spotting how many zombies he would be taking out. With a deep breath, he tucked and rolled until he was on one knee in the middle of the corridor.

He flicked the safety off and fired three times. She jumped at the harsh sound of it, but a wave of relief washed over her when she heard the thump of bodies hitting the ground. Slade stood once more, still pointing his gun forward as he held out a hand for her. Stepping closer, she took it, lacing her fingers with his. Her gaze settled on the bodies on the floor, and she felt slightly ill looking at their re-dead forms.

Slade stood, sweeping her down the hall, past the crumpled bodies. She had to lift her skirt to keep it from brushing over them. He still held the gun in his other hand, occasionally spinning her out of harms way in order to unload hot lead into a zombie's head. It wasn't long before he had to reload, and they paused in a small alcove, Slade slipping another clip into the pistol with ease.

"Give me one," she stated firmly, staring at his chest.

His movements faltered. "What?"

"Give me a gun, Slade." She said again, eyes darting up to meet his. "We'll get through twice as fast if you have me helping."

"Can you even use a gun—"

Raven rolled her eyes and dipped her hand into his jacket pocket, gripping the matching nine-millimeter. The sound of low groans from close by had her spinning out, all elegance and grace, the gun held steadily in her hand. With a determined look on her face, she fired with an eerie accuracy, hitting the single zombie between the eyes. A small smile curled on her lips when she glanced at Slade, only to find him staring in shock.

"Proof enough for you?" She asked with a quirk of the brow.

Slade took a slow step forward, and she dropped her gun hand to the side as he pulled her close. "Do you have any idea how hot that was?"

Her smile turned into a smirk. "When did you turn into such a sap?"

He was leaning in, his hand cupping her jaw as her eyes were fluttering shut, when the lights went out. Instinctively, he held her a little tighter as her breath hitched in her chest. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and they were on the move again in a flash. Unfortunately, City Hall was the building that held the Charity Ball, and it was a giant maze.

"You can't escape me, Raven." That voice giggled. "You're black knight can't save you."

Raven shivered even as they ran. She didn't respond. She didn't have to. The demigod knew. Knew her fear. She could probably smell it in the air. She was probably thriving in it. Slade's hand squeezed hers, trying to comfort her as they continued in silence.

"You're mine," the voice deepened.

It sounded more distant. Relief flooded through her.

And the lights were abruptly on again. And Raven let out a strangled gasp as pitch black eyes locked with hers from only a breath away. And then Slade was being ripped from her, Christine's power slinging him back against a wall so harshly that she was sure his spine had snapped. And she was moving, pressing the muzzle of the gun into Christine's gut.

But icy lips fell on hers. Disgust filled her as the mouth worked against her own. She felt a tongue force entrance, and she tasted evil. Practically inhaled it. And then all she saw and felt was darkness.

They'd finally fought them off when Bruce and Selena had reappeared, attired changed for the better. They'd even shut the DJ down, killing music that sounded like it had come from a bad science fiction film. All of the lights were back on, and the group received dull, frazzled applause from the still-panicked crowd.

They didn't notice. They were far too focused on the fact that Christine hadn't even stuck around to deal out more sarcastic quips. They were far too worried that they had failed their friend. Far too afraid that they hadn't succeeded in keeping her safe.

When they found Slade slumped against a wall, completely unconscious, their fears were confirmed. Cyborg had rushed over, checking for a pulse, only to have his wrist twisted harshly as an angry, and scared, and lost eye stared up into his. He didn't have to ask. He already knew. The half robot helped the man to his feet, and then Robin was there, slamming Slade back against the wall.

"I told you to keep her safe!" He hissed, just as angry as the rest of them. "Why the fuck didn't you keep her safe?"

And Cyborg watched, a mix of fascination and worry on his face as he watched their arch enemy break right before them. He saw as Slade desperately grabbed at Robin's shoulders. Saw the look of pure emotional agony paint itself on normally cold features. In that moment, he could feel nothing but hopelessness.

Tbc.

A/N: And there's only one more chapter to go. Or maybe two. And then an epilogue. STICK WITH ME I'M REALLY TRYING!

Ta muchly,

Tara