DISCLAIMER: blah I dun know Teen Titans, but I do own: Aquilus, Michael Greenway, Emily Greenway and Acerbus.

::waves:: Hello people. I think this might be one of my favourite chapters to write, and it's not to bad either. It's every long, I think its the longest chapter I even written ::yays:: I can't wait to write the next chapter too, it going to be fun because someone going to die... I don't know why I like writing death parts, I guess I'm just twisted that way. Anywho (I LOVE that word so much,) I hope you like this chapter, its really long and hopefully good.

enjoy,

CHAPTER 9

Life vs. Death

Robin leaped out of the T-car when they reached the nuclear plant. He blasted open the locked doors of the plant with a gadget. His breath was heavy and his mind filled hatred and obsession to kill. The titans quickly followed Robin.

The room they were standing in was just a check in place for the workers, Robin kicked the key pad to get into the next room. Sparks flew as he covered his eyes and the next three doors burst open. Robin went sprinting into the next room, like trained dogs the rest of the titans followed Robin. If he keeps this up, Raven thought bored, he's going to lose all his energy before the battle even starts.

The titans searched every room, one after another. They were in the second last room when the power went out. "Starfire, give us some light," Robin barked, Starfire nodded and held up her arm, her fist enclosed in a starbolt. Eerie green light flooded the storage room. The light illuminating the tons of crates filled with vials, chemicals and toxic waste projecting gear. A soft laugh and a quiet voice spoke, a voice the Teen Titans had all learned to hate, "Welcome titans," Beast Boy turned around and called out, "Were the hell are you?" he could just imagine Slade smiling from behind his mask lurking somewhere behind a box with some trap up his sleeve. Cyborg clicked something on his arm and two bright lights shone from his shoulders, he turned around glazing the area.

Raven closed her eyes and didn't bother looking around helplessly in the dark. Instead she whispered, "Azarath metrion zinthos," From her palms emerged a small raven made of energy, it was her eyes. It flew in the dark searching.

"Cut to the chase Slade," Robin barked, "how the hell are you still alive?!" He slowly slipped out his metal rod silently. "An interesting question, with no doubt a interesting answer." Slade's voice rung through the room, bouncing off the walls into their ears just taunting them more, "I must confess I am not alive, I guess you can put it that way..." he paused as if remembering something then continued, "I have a loyal servant that gave me his twisted soul, he chose death than continue living the way he did. Bless his heart, Plasmus," Starfire gasped, though it didn't really surprise Raven. "Yes young Starfire it does mean I can transform into his body," He said in a mocking voice.

The black energy raven flew back into Raven's palms, she said calmly, "Azarath metrion zinthos," a black energy force felid shield covered the titans just as the robots were going to shoot. Hundreds of lasers bounced off the shield, some even hitting the robots themselves. After the shooting Raven removed the shield, by now the lights were turned on and the Teen Titans could see clearly what they were up against. They were almost completely surrounded by Slade's robots. Slade was standing on a pile of boxes, smirking from behind his mask. He jumped off the box and hung in the air for a minute, his body transforming. A man turning into a monster... it's like some bad horror movie, Raven thought. Robin cursed under his breath and put his metal rod back. He slipped out an electric disk and nodded towards Cyborg.

Robin and Cyborg yelled "TEEN TITANS!" at the same time. Robin leapt into the air tossing an electric disk at the monster. Cyborg knelt on one knee, his right arm transformed into the sonic cannon. He steadied it with this left hand and shot at the electric disk. It exploded in front of transformed Slade. Being in this form he couldn't move as fast and the 'sonic boom' flashed in his face. He used a large purple-y gooey arm to block his eyes. Starfire jumped off a pile of crates circling him in the air shooting star bolts. Slowly the purple-y gooey mess melted off him. Slade stood there, his body back to normal. Slade pulled out an metal stick holding it in front of him ready to attack. The titans stood there, both waiting for each other to attack.

Suddenly Slade swirled his stick, then placing it back into his belt. The windows of the warehouse exploded and mist filled the damp, dark warehouse. When the smoke cleared the titans were surrounded by the rest of Slade's robots. Raven swore under her breath, shit! Should have seen this coming... Raven reached a hand into her cloak. She reached her hand in a secret pocket and rubbed her fingers around the cold glass globe, I'll need you later, Raven thought, let's hope I don't die until them.

All at once the robots raised their right arms, all of them were holding things that looked sort of like a staple gun, except instead of shooting staples it shot out near-fatal lasers. Raven raised both her arms in the air and yelled, "AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!" A large black energy shield covered the titans once again. Robin yelled, "TEEN TITANS GO!" Robin leapt up and did a summersault over the crowd of robots standing in front of Slade. Robin landed and pulled out his own metal stick and twirled it around with his fingers. Slade pulled out his metal stick also and charged at Robin...

Meanwhile:

Punch. Kick. Starbolt. Starfire kept up this combination taking down dozens of robots sending them flying against the wall some missing arms or legs or their head. Two robots that weren't to badly damaged ran at her at the same time. Just when they were both about a foot away Starfire shot up into the air while the robots did the classic bonking into each other and exploding. Starfire smiled at the robots' stupid-ness and did a glory lap in the air around the warehouse shooting at random robots. She landing and started helping Cyborg fend off thirty robots.

Meanwhile:

Raven was hovering a few inches off the ground dodging the lasers of the line of robots. At first it was slightly amusing Raven would have to admit, but soon the amount of lasers being shot grew at an alarming rate. She levitated backwards and upwards onto a pile of crates. She started waving her arms in a clockwise position, muttering, "Azarath, metrion, zinthos; azarath, metrion, zinthos; azarath, metrion, zinthos," under her breath. A large shockwave emitted from Raven's palms and literally melted the robots' metal.

Raven lowered her hood and climbed down from the crates, leaning on the crates panting, Holy...crap...that was hard...Okay... cool, clam, controlled. MOVE! Some voice yelled hissed in Raven's ear though no one was there. Raven looked up just in time to see a robot land on the crates she was standing on just seconds before pull out his laser gun. Raven was quicker though. She sent black jets of power at him, and then levitated high up in the air as the robot exploded.

Once again Raven stood on top of a tower of crates perched like a bird. More and more robots started closing in on Starfire and Cyborg. Raven closed her eyes and gathered her strength. When she opened them they were glowing a strange white, her hands glowing with black eerie light. She stood like a 'T' with both arms out, one crate on each side of her started to levitate, Raven moved her arms forward, the crates shot across the room to the growing crowd of robots that Starfire and Cyborg were struggling with. Raven's arms drooped slightly with the weight of the heavy crates, so did crates in the air, SHIT! Raven bit her lip and raised her arms up slightly. She drooped one of the crates it hit at least ten robots. The corners Raven's lips slightly twitched upwards, but soon the joy forgotten. The weight of the crate was starting to drain her energy quickly, but there was no place to drop the crate without a possibility of it might hitting Cyborg or Starfire, If I let go though there is a chance I wouldn't be able to even lift it again, I just have to drop it on the robots soon... Raven grunted. SET UP A DENFESE WALL QUICKLY! Screamed the same voice that told her to move earlier. Raven summoned the last bit of strength she had and made a defense energy wall behind her. The robot's fist hit the shield exploding. Though the shield was small as was it, it drained Raven's soul and energy.

The small big-eyed young girl looked around the room. It looked big, white and unfriendly. That was all she remembered, the big, white and unfriendly room. There were crayons and a piece of paper but Raven ignored them. She put her ear to the door inside the room, but she couldn't hear anything. Raven pouted and looked around the room, the big, white and unfriendly room. Suddenly Raven had an idea; she dragged the small table that had the crayons on it to the door of the other room. She climbed up and looked inside the small window. Mommy and Azar were talking; she pouted and wondered what they were talking about with out her. Mommy leapt up and started strangling Azar, screaming at her. Raven pressed her ear to the glass, but all she heard was muffled screaming, she couldn't make out what she was saying. Raven started pounding on the window and screaming herself, but the two women didn't hear Raven over Mommy's screaming. Azar started glowing black, and Mommy flew against the wall hitting her head hard against the stone wall, a small pool of blood slowly started to form around her head. Raven stood there frozen, her mouth open just staring at Mommy. Azar turned around and saw Raven's little round face pressed against the glass and started to walk towards it. Raven jumped off the table and moved it out of the way. Azar walked out of the room as if nothing was wrong. Raven followed Azar walk out of the room, the big, white, unfriendly room that her mother had died in.

Twelve years later, when Raven was thirteen and had discovered her 'powers', during mediation Raven met Aquilus. A priest was mediating in the front of the room, levitating a few inches over a red pillow. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos; Azarath, Metrion, zinthos; Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos," Those words were muttered so many times, it stuck in Raven. They surrounded her, they consumed her, and they became her. Raven slowly began to glow and levitated a foot above her blood red pillow.

Azar stood in the door way with another high-ranking priest, "She shows promise," Azar muttered to the other priest. Aquilus opened an eye and looked over at Raven, she tucked a strand of her blue-gray hair behind her ear and scowled, closing her eyes once again. She used her strength and slowly started glowing and raised to Raven's level. The sounds of a gong echoed through the building, breaking Aquilus's concentration, she fell and landed hard on her pillow. The other pupils who were standing now all looked at her, they were forbidden to laugh in the mediation chambers or even talk. But, Aquilus knew on the inside they were laughing and making fun of her. She frowned and stormed out of the room. She stormed out of the hallway, when passing Raven she sent her flying into the wall. "What the hell?!" Asked Raven getting up. Aquilus turned her head and looked at Raven, the look of burning hatred that went far beyond Raven's praise from Azar.

Later that year:

Raven was inside the small room she was assigned to. It had white stone walls just like all the other room; the small room was bare except for the futon with the thin cotton covers. Raven was mediating on the futon like usual, hovering a foot above the bed. Her body slowly started to glow. Calmness surrounded her, she was in peace. She had complete focus, her mind slowly began to expand. Outside the open door was Aquilus and Acerbus, the boy Raven slightly fancied. Okay, no not slightly fancied, but a lot. Aquilus leaned in a kissed Acerbus, Raven's mind exploded in fury. She knew Aquilus did it just to piss her off, but it worked. Raven dropped, her focus lost and long gone. Raven hissed the three words and Aquilus went shooting away from Acerbus. The corners of Raven's lips slowly upturned in a small twisted smile.

A year later and Aquilus's and Raven's hatred grew only more and more. Raven charged forward, but Aquilus vanished and teleported behind her. Aquilus held Raven by the hair and smashed her face into the wall. She hissed into Raven's ear, "How does it feel now? Not feeling so high and mighty anymore eh?" She yanked Raven down to the ground, still holding her hair. "HOW DOES IT FUCKING FEEL?!" she asked yelling. She kicked Raven hard in the stomach. Raven reached inside her cloak and found what she was looking for, the knife. She pulled it from its covering and slit and large cash in Aquilus's leg, almost from her knee to her ankle.

Aquilus shrieked. And crimpled slightly, she was in obvious pain and knew she couldn't fight anymore. Aquilus teleported out of the room.

Raven sighed and rolled onto her back. Her hair spread around her head like a fan, a purple sweaty, full of blood fan. She looked at her hand, it was still holding the knife, the blood on the blade of the knife slowly rolling down the handle, on to her hand and down her arm. Raven screamed loudly. She screamed like hell had broken loose, she screamed like she never screamed before...

The little bit of Raven's soul floated out of Raven's body in the form of a raven. It flew around the room, stopping everyone. Michael appeared out of the darkness, he raised his palm and the soul was sucked into his hand. He walked more out of the shadow, over to Raven's limp body. He bent over and picked it up like it was as light as a feather. Something dropped out of her cloak. It was the glass globe, it cracked. The crack glowed red for a second, then the glass globe exploded. The image of Raven with a double set of eyes and a red cloak climbed out, it growled looking around. A black hole slowly started to suck it in to Raven's heart, it howled but it's screams and howls were useless. It was sucked in a flash of red and Raven's body slightly jolted. Raven opened her eyes and groaned. Life. Michael sat her down, "Raven?" he asked in his rich low voice. Raven slowly turned into demon Raven. The people around her became full of life and Michael disappeared.

Azar started glowing black, and Mommy flew against the wall hitting her head hard against the stone wall, a small pool of blood slowly started to form around her head.

That moment played over and over in Raven's mind. Raven roared 'Azar', and disappeared.

Hoped you liked.

-SNOWBALLHEAT-