Raven could see the Tower in the distance. She almost turned back, a
flood of images clouding her mind, pleasant memories of the only people who
had ever accepted her.
"You don't need them." The voice echoed inside of her. The images dissolved, leaving her mind blank and cloudy again.
"Back to bad advice then?" Raven muttered, silencing the voice inside of her. She was rather irritable. Not only was her conscience weighted down by what she was going to do, but she hadn't meditated in a while. The constant gnashing and whirling of the gears all along Slade's hideout were not easily blocked out.
"Almost there." Slade called from below her. He didn't appear to be in a hurry. He was at an easy pace, no worries crossing his mind.
"Great." Raven muttered, her mind still somewhere else. Somewhere where she didn't have to do this.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Nobody was relaxed; there was no time for that.
The Titans were standing on the Training Grounds, ready for anything (or so they thought). Everyone was silent still, dwelling on what they had seen. No one wanted to say anything, there was nothing to say.
"Look." Robin said, pointing on the horizon. Two figures were cresting the island. One, tall and dark strode slowly and purposefully towards the Titans. The other flew above his shoulder, hesitant and brooding.
Slade and Raven came into view. The Titans seemed blown. Their fears had been confirmed, it was Raven with Slade.
"Let her go Slade." Beast Boy growled.
"You believe she's a hostage?" Slade asked with a short chuckle," No, I'm afraid you have it all wrong. Raven is with me on her own will. After she left you she was willing to come with me. Now we are both back."
A collective gasp ran through the Titans. Raven wanted to yell. She wanted to tell them it wasn't true, but it was. She hung her head, but only slightly, almost unnoticeable.
"It isn't true." Beast Boy growled, refusing to believe that even Raven would go along with Slade.
"Don't say anything." Slade said so softly so only Raven could hear, then said much louder," Oh, but it is true."
"No," Starfire called suddenly," Raven would not fight along side someone as evil as you. Am I correct Raven?"
"Raven didn't say anything, hanging her head so that her hood covered more than even the top of her face.
"You two take Raven," Robin muttered at last, nodding at Beast Boy and Cyborg," Starfire and I will take Slade."
For a few seconds Beast Boy and Cyborg hesitated visibly, but then set off towards Raven. Robin and Starfire took no time to set towards Slade.
Rocks from the surrounding area flew up behind Raven, surrounded by a black aura. They were flung forwards at Beast Boy and Cyborg, missing purposefully by several feet.
One of the blue beams from the transformed gun on Cyborg's arm flew a few feet past Raven, crashing into a rock she had just summoned. They were drawing dangerously close to her, but not because she thought they would hurt her. She was afraid that even the very sound of them talking to her, trying to pry answers from her would make her break down. She would trail off track and side with them again.
'Deep down you want that.' The voice said softly.
She snapped out of listening to the voice, someone had their hands on her wrists.
She looked down at Beast Boy, his face pleading.
"Raven, what are you doing?" he cried, gripping her wrists even tighter as she tried to pull away, "Have you gone nuts?!?"
"You have." The voice said, very small inside of her.
Suddenly Beast Boy's eyes widened in surprise. There was a hissing sound right beside Raven's ear. Slade's metal pole cracked across Beast Boy's head. Beast Boy fell back, clutching his head tight, his teeth clenched with pain.
Raven swirled around, facing Slade. His pole was now rested on his shoulder, and a smug look was in his one visible eye. He looked slightly ruffled from his fight with Robin and Starfire. Raven was surprised he had escaped the pair, no one escaped them.
Raven turned back to Beast Boy. He was still on the ground, one hand held to his head. His eyes were slightly dazed, as if his head had been corrupted.
"Go ahead Raven." Slade's taunting voice echoed behind her," Finish him off. This is what you've been waiting for."
"You know what to do Raven." The voice called inside her, strong once more.
A large rock rose up behind Raven, surrounded by her telekinetic blackness. Beast Boy's eyes widened, a slow line of blood dripping down the side of his head from the sharp edges of the pole. Raven could hear the rest of the Titans voices, yelling and commanding, a slow droning buzz in her ear. Her aim was precise.
The rock caught Slade full on in the face. He was blown back, caught by surprise as the hard mineral whacked him in the face.
Raven had turned around, floating a few feet off the ground. Her cape was swirling about her, and her hood shaded her face, her eyes a blazing white through the shadow.
Rocks and clumps of grass flew towards Slade, surrounded by Raven's black aura. Waves crashed up over the banks, twisting into elongated shapes in order to crash down upon Slade. Even Robin's pole flew by, hitting Slade in the stomach. Raven was grasping at anything her powers could envelope, hurling them at the hated creature as she raged.
He had turned her against her friends, preying on her momentarily feeble mind. She had now woken, her powers spiraling out of control. She had not meditated in days, which fed the flames of her great anger as she realized what she had been doing.
Slade was trying desperately to block Raven's arsenal as it came hurling towards him at great speeds. He blocked rocks and grass, avoided waves and even almost escaped Robin's pole, but he was almost powerless against Raven's outrage. The usually cool man, always in control, was beginning to lose his upper hand. He now began to think it better to leave and return another day, as powerful as ever.
Without his usual smart-aleck comment he turned and fled, his path hidden by the barrage of rocks that followed in his wake. When the rocks cleared he was gone, a trademark of Slade's.
Raven had begun to scream without even realizing it. She flung more rocks at where he had disappeared, her own mind not even realizing he was gone.
Someone had come up behind her. Someone had pulled her down from the air. Someone's arms wrapped around her, a pair of gloved hands closing around hers. She struggled no more, there was nothing left to do. Her mind unclouded, Slade was gone.
"Raven, stop." A voice called as she faded into blackness. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: OH NO! I've done it to you all again. I'm sorry about these cliff hangers, I know they are most unappreciated, but I can't help myself. I have to keep you guys reading you know. This isn't the last chapter; I have at least one more after this. It should be up soon considering it is now the weekend. YAY! Hope you guys like this one, I sure do. Okay, so maybe I went a little far, but I guess you guys can make an exception. Now, I will leave while you all sit and hate me for the cliffie! See you later!
"You don't need them." The voice echoed inside of her. The images dissolved, leaving her mind blank and cloudy again.
"Back to bad advice then?" Raven muttered, silencing the voice inside of her. She was rather irritable. Not only was her conscience weighted down by what she was going to do, but she hadn't meditated in a while. The constant gnashing and whirling of the gears all along Slade's hideout were not easily blocked out.
"Almost there." Slade called from below her. He didn't appear to be in a hurry. He was at an easy pace, no worries crossing his mind.
"Great." Raven muttered, her mind still somewhere else. Somewhere where she didn't have to do this.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Nobody was relaxed; there was no time for that.
The Titans were standing on the Training Grounds, ready for anything (or so they thought). Everyone was silent still, dwelling on what they had seen. No one wanted to say anything, there was nothing to say.
"Look." Robin said, pointing on the horizon. Two figures were cresting the island. One, tall and dark strode slowly and purposefully towards the Titans. The other flew above his shoulder, hesitant and brooding.
Slade and Raven came into view. The Titans seemed blown. Their fears had been confirmed, it was Raven with Slade.
"Let her go Slade." Beast Boy growled.
"You believe she's a hostage?" Slade asked with a short chuckle," No, I'm afraid you have it all wrong. Raven is with me on her own will. After she left you she was willing to come with me. Now we are both back."
A collective gasp ran through the Titans. Raven wanted to yell. She wanted to tell them it wasn't true, but it was. She hung her head, but only slightly, almost unnoticeable.
"It isn't true." Beast Boy growled, refusing to believe that even Raven would go along with Slade.
"Don't say anything." Slade said so softly so only Raven could hear, then said much louder," Oh, but it is true."
"No," Starfire called suddenly," Raven would not fight along side someone as evil as you. Am I correct Raven?"
"Raven didn't say anything, hanging her head so that her hood covered more than even the top of her face.
"You two take Raven," Robin muttered at last, nodding at Beast Boy and Cyborg," Starfire and I will take Slade."
For a few seconds Beast Boy and Cyborg hesitated visibly, but then set off towards Raven. Robin and Starfire took no time to set towards Slade.
Rocks from the surrounding area flew up behind Raven, surrounded by a black aura. They were flung forwards at Beast Boy and Cyborg, missing purposefully by several feet.
One of the blue beams from the transformed gun on Cyborg's arm flew a few feet past Raven, crashing into a rock she had just summoned. They were drawing dangerously close to her, but not because she thought they would hurt her. She was afraid that even the very sound of them talking to her, trying to pry answers from her would make her break down. She would trail off track and side with them again.
'Deep down you want that.' The voice said softly.
She snapped out of listening to the voice, someone had their hands on her wrists.
She looked down at Beast Boy, his face pleading.
"Raven, what are you doing?" he cried, gripping her wrists even tighter as she tried to pull away, "Have you gone nuts?!?"
"You have." The voice said, very small inside of her.
Suddenly Beast Boy's eyes widened in surprise. There was a hissing sound right beside Raven's ear. Slade's metal pole cracked across Beast Boy's head. Beast Boy fell back, clutching his head tight, his teeth clenched with pain.
Raven swirled around, facing Slade. His pole was now rested on his shoulder, and a smug look was in his one visible eye. He looked slightly ruffled from his fight with Robin and Starfire. Raven was surprised he had escaped the pair, no one escaped them.
Raven turned back to Beast Boy. He was still on the ground, one hand held to his head. His eyes were slightly dazed, as if his head had been corrupted.
"Go ahead Raven." Slade's taunting voice echoed behind her," Finish him off. This is what you've been waiting for."
"You know what to do Raven." The voice called inside her, strong once more.
A large rock rose up behind Raven, surrounded by her telekinetic blackness. Beast Boy's eyes widened, a slow line of blood dripping down the side of his head from the sharp edges of the pole. Raven could hear the rest of the Titans voices, yelling and commanding, a slow droning buzz in her ear. Her aim was precise.
The rock caught Slade full on in the face. He was blown back, caught by surprise as the hard mineral whacked him in the face.
Raven had turned around, floating a few feet off the ground. Her cape was swirling about her, and her hood shaded her face, her eyes a blazing white through the shadow.
Rocks and clumps of grass flew towards Slade, surrounded by Raven's black aura. Waves crashed up over the banks, twisting into elongated shapes in order to crash down upon Slade. Even Robin's pole flew by, hitting Slade in the stomach. Raven was grasping at anything her powers could envelope, hurling them at the hated creature as she raged.
He had turned her against her friends, preying on her momentarily feeble mind. She had now woken, her powers spiraling out of control. She had not meditated in days, which fed the flames of her great anger as she realized what she had been doing.
Slade was trying desperately to block Raven's arsenal as it came hurling towards him at great speeds. He blocked rocks and grass, avoided waves and even almost escaped Robin's pole, but he was almost powerless against Raven's outrage. The usually cool man, always in control, was beginning to lose his upper hand. He now began to think it better to leave and return another day, as powerful as ever.
Without his usual smart-aleck comment he turned and fled, his path hidden by the barrage of rocks that followed in his wake. When the rocks cleared he was gone, a trademark of Slade's.
Raven had begun to scream without even realizing it. She flung more rocks at where he had disappeared, her own mind not even realizing he was gone.
Someone had come up behind her. Someone had pulled her down from the air. Someone's arms wrapped around her, a pair of gloved hands closing around hers. She struggled no more, there was nothing left to do. Her mind unclouded, Slade was gone.
"Raven, stop." A voice called as she faded into blackness. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: OH NO! I've done it to you all again. I'm sorry about these cliff hangers, I know they are most unappreciated, but I can't help myself. I have to keep you guys reading you know. This isn't the last chapter; I have at least one more after this. It should be up soon considering it is now the weekend. YAY! Hope you guys like this one, I sure do. Okay, so maybe I went a little far, but I guess you guys can make an exception. Now, I will leave while you all sit and hate me for the cliffie! See you later!
