Ok, everythings been leading upto this moment. Take a deep breath.........and enjoy!

Chapter 10: Pain and loss

The Titans were forced to hold thier hands up as a huge wind began blowing from Kardak, launching dust and debris into the air. Kardak laughed maniacly as he floated in the air, his glowing red eyes looking like they could pierce your very soul. Kardol looked at his brother. He knew all too well what was happening, and it meant they had no chance. "Dude!" Beast Boy yelled over the howl of the wind, "He's gone nuts!" Kardak continued laughing. "Consider yourselves lucky!" he screamed, "I havent transformed in over 600 years!" The Titans looked at him in confusion. Raven looked to Kardol, hoping to get some answers. She was stuned to see something in his eyes that had never been there before. Fear. For the first time she knew, he looked truly scared. Raven's mood instantly sunk, fear shooting through her as well.

"What'd he say?" Cyborg yelled, confused about Kardak's statement, "Transform?" Kardak stoped laughing, but retained a wicked grin. "Make peace with your God now, mortals!" he yelled. He bent his head down and began screaming. A bright red lightning pulsed around his body. His bright blonde hair faded into a dull grey, and fangs appeared in his mouth. His already musular form almost tripled in size as every mussle in his body buldged. His black coat was torn to pieces around him. His fingernails grew into claws, and they looked razor sharp. To top it all off, two mounds appeared in his back. He screamed in agony as they exploded, and a pair of black devil wings folded out, flaping around. He landed on the ground, breathing heavily. He looked up at the now horrified Titans. "Get a good look!" he yelled, his voice sounding more deep and demonic, "Cause this is the last thing you'll ever see!"

He held his hands together and aimed them at the Titans. A red orb appeared and he launched it at them. They surried away, but it was worthless. The orb exploded, sending red lighting through the room, shocking all of them at once. Robin and Beast Boy were instantly taken out of commison and fell to the ground. Starfire saw Robin's limp body and flew at Kardak, screaming in anger. She fired a eye beam at him, aiming for his black heart. Kardak simply held up his hand and blocked the attack like it was nothing. Star was flying at full speed and didnt have time to slow down. She landed right in Kardak's grasp, his claws diging into her neck, causing trickles of blood to run down her body and onto the floor. She grabed onto his arm, desperate to get some air. She even kicked his stomach, but it just felt like kicking steel. Soon she stop struggleing and fell limp. Kardak grined and droped her to the floor, holding out his glowing hand to finish her. He looked up when Cyborg's battle cry rang in his ears. Kardak simply reaimed his hand and fired at Cy. He rolled to his left, dodging the red orb. However, Kardak quickly pulled his hand upwards, causing the orb to spin around and slam into Cyborg's back. Crimson lightning engulfed his metalic body and he fell to the floor. Kardak laughed and turned to Raven, who was still recovering from his initial attack. "Father told me to keep you alive," he said, "but i think i just kill you for the hell of it!" He flaped his black wings and flew at Raven, his fangs looking eager to sink into her skin. Raven created a black shield to defend herself, but Kardak just shattered it with a quick jab. He spun around and kicked her in the head, knocking her to the floor. She shook her head, dazed as Kardak's hand glew red again.

"NO!" a deep voice rang out as Kardak was tackled to the floor by a 8 foot giant. Kardol firmly held his brother in place, but with great struggle. Kardak just grined. "Fool." he said, "Your wasting your life for something as weak as her? She's not even your full blooded sister!" Kardol growled at him in response. "You actually think that matters to me?" he said, his musles aching, "She's the only family i have, and i love her too much to let you get your filthy hands on her!" He raised his fist and slamed it into Kardak's face, knocking out quite a few teeth. Kardak looked back and spat his blood on the dragon's face. "Then you'll die just like her!" A wave of red energy pushed Kardol away. He had barely goten back to his feet when a fist slamed into his ribs, breaking even more of them. Kardol stumbled back as Kardak landed a few more blows to his large, horse-like head. His head spining with pain, he didnt even notice Kardak had his hand around his long neck unitl he lifted him up into the air. Kardak held his hand up to Kardol's stomach. "When you get to Hell, mention my name," Kardak said as his hand glowed red, "you'll get a discount."

Kardol's eyes grew huge as he felt his insides twist and burn. A huge pain shot through him as a red orb poped out of his back, fragments bone and tissue following it. Kardak droped him, a wicked smile going from ear to ear. Raven looked up in time to see her brother hit the ground, his eye's slowly losing thier color. "NO!!!" she screamed as she scrambled over to him. Kardak took to the air, his grin never fadeing. Raven reached Kardol and proped his head in her arms. She looked down at the wound in his abdomen and cringed in disgust. "Rae.....Raven" Kardol said very faintly. She shot her gaze back to him instantly. "Im.......im sorry...we....didnt have more.......more time to spend together." He said as blood driped from his long snout. Raven couldnt help it. She burst into tears and wraped her arms around his head. "Im going to prove you wrong." she wispered in his ear and set his head down. Her hands glowed blue and she pressed them on his open wound. Pain filled her body as she took it in to heal him. Her ribs were on fire, and her abdomen was fuming with agony. Then something happend. She felt intense emotional pain. The feeling of rejection, guilt, everything that was horrible to feel filled her soul. This is his pain she thought through the agony, all the pain he's felt inside. She felt everything he felt over his life. All the tramua from the abuse from thier father, the death of his mother, everything......

She gasped and took her hands away. She looked down and was relived to see the wound had sealed, but a huge scar was in its place. However, Kardol wasnt moving. She reached down and shook him, trying to wake him. "Give it up!" Kardak said, still floating high above, "You'll all be dead soon anyway!" He held his hands above his head and a large red orb appeared. He laughed like a madman as it grew constantly larger. Raven looked up at him, tears still streaming from her eyes. "You....you horrid beast!" she screamed, her hands glowing black. "Your just a coward! Your nothing compared to him!" she said, motioning towards Kardol. "Sticks and stones, sister!" Kardak yelled back as the orb continued to grow. "Well, how about this?" she replied, "...azerath...." she aimed her hands at Kardak, "...metrion..." they surged with black energy, "...ZINTHOS!!!!!!" She fired a huge beam of black energy at him, casuing the ground around her to shatter. The beam was about to hit when a red shield appeared around Kardak, blocking it. "HAHAHA! Nice try!" he screamed as his orb neared completion. Raven's knees buckled as she strained to keep the attack going. Her mind felt like thousands of nails were being driven into it.

Suddnely, she felt two large hands clasp around hers. She turned her head to see Kardol standing behind her, his arms running aganst hers. Thier eyes met, and Kardol smiled. "....he started it. Lets finish it." he said. Raven smiled back and noded, turning her glowing white eyes back to Kardak. She and Kardol both screamed as he added his energy to hers, and the both fired a huge white beam surging with black lightning at Kardak. For the first time in a while Kardak wasnt grining. In fact, his face was full of fear. Thier attack broke through his shield like it was nothing and pierced inside his red orb. He looked up to see black and white energy pulsing in and out of it. "Aw crap" he said. The orb flashed brightly as Kardak's scream was quickly drowned out by a huge explosion that rocked the room.

Outside, the ground rumbled for a moment before beams of light shot skywards through cracks in the earth. The rock itself shattered and flew into the air as a blinding flash lit the area for miles. After a long pause, the light finnaly faded, revealing a glowing black dome amongst the remains. It too faded, revealing Raven, Kardol and the unconcious Titans lying around them. Raven collapsed, only to be caught and held up by Kardol. She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back, and she wraped her arms around him in a hug. Kardol wraped his arms around her as well. Raven began cying again. "I.....i thought i would lose you. I-" "Shh" Kardol interupted, "Its ok now." She dug her head deeper into his stomach, acting like a sad child. She didnt care if her powers acted up because of this, she just wanted to keep hugging her brother, whom she loved deeply. They remained standing like that for a while, until the other Titans came to.

Later that afternoon, after a long time resting, Kardol stood on the roof. He wore bandages on his chest, as Raven could'nt heal all of his broken ribs. He had his wings open, letting the wind blow through them. He turned his long neck as he heard the door being opened, and saw the Titans file out one by one. He turned around completely to face them. Robin walked upto him and held out his hand. In it rested a small comunicator with a "T" printed on it. Kardol picked it up. "Whats this?" he asked. Robin smiled and steped back. "From this moment, consider yourself a Teen Titan." Kardol looked up at the others, causing them to nod in aproval. He smiled at them. "Thanks....." he said, "but no thanks." He tossed the comunicator back to Robin. "What?" Raven asked, confused. Kardak looked at her, no emotion present in his face. "Im not going to stay around here." The Titans all gave him confused looks, Raven's being the strongest. "Why?" she said, walking up to him slowly. He looked down at her. "You felt my pain, didnt you?" he asked sternly. She looked down. "Yes...." "Then you know i choose to be alone most of the time." he said. Beast Boy raised an eyebrow at him. "But...you were doing just fine in that musem of yours!" Kardol looked at him. "Yes, but i wasnt quite that social now, was i?" BB looked at him in agreement. Kardol looked back at the sulking Raven and held her chin up. "Hey," he said, "dont take this as good-bye. I'll be back, dont you worry. I just need some time." She looked at him, then smiled. "You really are my brother." she said, trying to make herself laugh. He smiled and reached down to his tatered shorts and pulled out some kind of bracelet. It was covered with green jade and emerald in a interesting pattern. "My mother gave this to me, before she died." he said, "Its to be given to the one you care for most." He sliped it on her wrist. Raven looked up at him, about to cry. She gave him a hug, which he returned. He pulled back and turned around. He looked back at them. "Take care of my musem, ok?" he said half-jokingly. The Titans noded, and Raven placed her hands on her chest. "Take care." she said. Kardol noded and leapt off the roof. He poped back into view as his wings caught a updraft. The Titans waved after him then turned and headed inside.

Raven remained standing there. "I love you, brother." she wispered as she held the green bracelet and watched him fly off into the infinite reaches of the sky.

After notes:

Well, there it is. My first fanfic ever. Hope you enjoyed it. The reason i had Kardol leave was to set things up for his dramatic return. I've already got ideas for 2 more TT fics, as well as a Hellsing one. Stay tuned for those and more! Please R&R.