Okay, this is a super-long chapter for me (cough try eleven pages cough cough), but that's okay. And this chapter contains a lot of switching between points of view, so sometimes the scenes skip back and forward through time a few minutes to see what two people are experiencing at the same time. Sorry if it gets confusing, but I tried to keep it simple.

In this chapter, I would like to be able to say that I answer all your questions, but that wouldn't be any fun. So while some questions are answered, I give you a whole new set to ponder! lol. You know, I was never mean or cruel before I started writing.

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"Tap on my window, knock on my door, I

Want to make you feel beautiful.

I know I tend to get so insecure

It doesn't matter anymore."

Raven gasped, every muscle tensed, every inch of her skin afire with remembered pain. She waited, teeth clenched, eyes tightly shut, for the next blow, the next blade drawn almost lovingly across her skin – but no blow came. There was no sickening laugh, no honey-sweet voice, no burning white eye or steel-gloved fist; there was no shadow in the back of her mind.

She jumped instinctively as something cold touched her cheek, waiting for the fire of pain that would follow. Instead, the cool touch soothed the ache that still lingered all over her body, washing away the burning memories as well as the physical sensation. Another cold touch followed the first, and a hundred, a thousand more after that, until she felt as though she stood beneath a waterfall of cool light that blotted out her secrets and sins. There was a soft tapping, a gentle rhythm winding around her, comforting her, as strangely familiar as the sweet taste in her mouth. And it was only then, tasting that familiar sensation of frozen wine on her tongue, that she realized what it was she was feeling.

Rain.

Sighing, she relaxed, the cold rain bringing back memories of a magical night, lifetimes away from the pain and horror she remembered being entangled in. And slowly, recovering from the shock of being catapulted so suddenly back into consciousness, she became aware of other things; the wind blowing cold on her usually cape-covered arms, the soft music whispering through the night, and the warm sensation of a familiar hand in hers.

Raven wanted to laugh, to cry, to sing and dance and scream and do all of the things she had been so sure she would never get a chance to do again. It had been a dream – all of it, the pain, the torture, the demonic voice in her mind and Slade's cold laugh, all had been a simple dream that vanished like a wisp of shadow caught in the sun's radiance. She was awake now, alive, swaying softly with Robin to rhythm of the music and the rain.

"I don't mind spending every day,

Out on your corner in the pouring rain,

Look for the girl with the broken smile,

Ask her if she wants to stay a while.

And she will be loved,

She will be loved."

She felt Robin's hand tighten around hers, and she leaned forward, still without opening her eyes. She knew, she remembered what would come next – the soft, sweet brush of his lips against hers, and the joy and wonder deep in his golden eyes –

She looked up, eager, hungry for the sight of those kind and smiling eyes gazing into hers, a blanket of warmth in a cold world, a single light in a maelstrom of darkness. She wanted, needed to meet that wondrous gaze, let that fire drive away the icy memories of agony, let that love heal the wounds that scarred her soul. She looked up, catching her breath in anticipation of what she would see –

And staggered backwards, biting her lip to keep herself from screaming at the sight that met her eyes..

There was Robin, still as she remembered him – standing tall and confident, grinning down at her, his eyes bare and gleaming, his expression the same soft acceptance she so hungered for. But this Robin was horribly deformed, slashed and broken, hideous wounds covering every inch of his skin. His face was bruised and shattered, his smile the grin of a man driven mad by pain who could no longer feel his injuries. His eyes held, not love, but a crazed joy that came with knowing Death was inches away and welcoming it with open arms.

The heinous mockery of Robin shuffled forwards, his hands outstretched, reaching for her, his eyes burning with a feverish madness that scared her more than his broken body ever could. She stumbled backwards, screaming in the silence of her mind, silently weeping, begging, pleading with this hideous thing to go away and leave her alone, let her fall back into mindless darkness and never wake up –

"Hello, my dear daughter. It has been a long time since we last met. Do you still remember me?"

Raven watched in speechless horror as, before her very eyes, the deformed Robin began to change. The blood that oozed from his wounds suddenly began to flow more quickly, spreading over his entire body, staining his skin crimson as wine stains pure white cloth. The grasping fingers arched and grew, changing into hideous, razor-sharp claws, and the grinning teeth elongated into yellowed fangs, leering at her. She backed further down the street, trying and failing to tear her eyes away from the horrendous beast before her, but her gaze remained transfixed by horror, wide and staring as two twisting horns sprouted from Robin's spiky hair.

"No," she whispered hoarsely, the words catching in her throat as she stared at the monstrosity before her. "No…….."

"Yes," it growled, its serrated fangs bared in a gleeful grin, its scarlet skin glistening like newly-spilled blood in the rain. Raven longed to shut her eyes against the bloodthirsty joy in its face, the face that still bore so much resemblance to Robin's that it made her sick just to look at it. The thing stood on two legs, with human proportions and a human face; but as human as it might have seemed, the blood-drenched skin, the scythelike claws and twisting horns protruding from its skull branded it as a monster.

"I do believe I shall keep this form," the hideous demon chuckled, examining one clawed hand with evident enjoyment. "It pleases me. And I can see how much it disturbs you, my daughter, to see your lover so changed. Oh, the irony of it all!"

The thing took a step towards her, its eyes a sickly ochre yellow that made such a mockery of the gold she loved. "That is what pleases me most of all about this body – that the one who will destroy you takes the form of one you thought would be your savior."

"What do you want?" she asked pleadingly, stumbling backwards, out of the heinous thing's reach. "What do you want from me? You've taken everything already! Why can't you just leave me alone?" She was crying, sobbing in the face of the horror slowly advancing towards her, her tears lost to the rain. "Why did you have to come back? And why now?"

The demon only laughed, reaching out more swiftly than it should have been able to move, closing its sharp talons around her wrists, holding her immobile. "You are stubborn, dear Raven," it hissed, suddenly growing to twice its original height, staring down at her with utter hatred. "It seems that it will take more than pain to break you. It does not matter – there are ways other than pain. There is fear, despair………." Its grin widened, and it suddenly began to shrink, returning to its former size as the scarlet bleached out of its skin as though washed away by the rain. And suddenly, though the grip on her wrists remained as strong and implacable as ever, she found that the apparition holding her was not a demon, but Robin – whole, healed, and with a stare that held all of the demon's hatred and malice. "And, of course," it hissed with the demon's voice, "There is love. Yes, I think that is what will break you, my dear Raven – love."

It began to laugh, and the laugh was Robin's, but for the gleeful loathing that crackled just below the edge of hearing, that oozed from its very skin, bathing Raven in a hellish heat. The claws around her wrists suddenly tightened, and the laughter stopped – she saw one last glimpse of ochre eyes, and then there was nothing more.

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Raven's eyes snapped open and she breathed deeply, gasping for air, coughing as fire stabbed through her oxygen-starved lungs. She felt as though she was drowning, struggling, swept by waves of darkness that had suddenly thrown her, violently and painfully, onto the shore of her conscious mind.

"Good. You're awake."

She turned her head slightly, searching for the source of the voice, but nothing met her eyes but shadows. The room spun around her with every heartbeat, the gloom whirling in sickening spirals about her head. She could see light flashing out of the darkness, stabbing into her eyes, but trying to focus her gaze only made the room lurch and spin faster. A single groan escaped her lips and she closed her eyes, trying to block out the crazily whirling shadows.

"Wake up, dear Raven. I am sure you have questions for me, and it will not be long before your little friends arrive."

"Friends?" she asked hoarsely, opening her eyes again and searching the shadows that surrounded her for any sign of life. "What have you done to my friends?"

"Nothing, dear Raven," a smooth voice replied, a hint of laughter in its tone. "Nothing at all. At least, not yet."

The darkness directly in front of Raven suddenly began to move, writhing as though stirred by the passing of some unseen spectre, parting like the waves of a storm-tossed sea. A shadow-shrouded figure stepped out of the gloom, what little light there was playing off the cloth and copper mask that veiled its face.

"I would ask if you had pleasant dreams," Slade chuckled, crouching down in front of Raven, "But that would be rather redundant. For now, your father wishes for me to explain the precarious position in which you have found yourself. He wishes you to fully understand your destiny."

"Destiny?" Raven asked weakly. She felt strangely numb, as though her skin had turned to ice, unable to feel anything save the headache growing behind her eyes. "What destiny? The prophecy –"

"Ah, yes, the prophecy," Slade said philosophically, never moving, his gaze never leaving Raven's limp form. "It all comes down to the prophecy, doesn't it? And therein lies the problem." Straightening up, he nudged Raven with a single steel-tipped boot, his good eye narrowing in his mask. "The message I delivered on your birthday, dear Raven, was only that – a message. There is more to the prophecy than you know."

"M-more?" Raven gasped, trying to sit up, to at least try and find out where she was. As soon as she moved, however, pain blazed to life all over her body – she screamed, falling limply to the floor as her left shoulder burned in excruciating agony. Her head cracked sharply against pavement as she hit the floor, and all was engulfed in darkness.

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When Raven woke for the second time, it was to the insistent prodding of a steel-tipped boot against her stomach. "Wake up, you wretched child," a harsh voice snapped from somewhere in the shadows around her. "We don't have much time, and your father wants you to know the prophecy in its entirety."

"It is not entirely her fault, Slade," a grating voice roared from the shadow, a tinge of amusement in its tone. "You were perhaps a bit – overzealous in your attempts to break her."

"On your orders!" Slade snarled, glaring at the darkness all around him. When there was no reply, he leaned over and clenched his fist around the clasp of Raven's cloak, hauling her up off the floor. He made an abrupt gesture with his other hand, and the shadows around him began to lurch and spin, whirling together, twisting themselves into long chains that wound about Raven's arms, dragging her through the air until she was pinned against the cold concrete wall.

"Now that I have your attention," Slade snarled, obviously in a high bad humor. As he moved towards her, Raven noticed with a sort of detached satisfaction that he was limping.

"Looks like you're not as powerful as you think you are," Raven panted, smiling as Slade, obviously incensed, clenched his steel-gloved hands into fists at his sides. Pulling one fist back, he opened his fingers and slapped Raven hard across the face.

"Shut up and listen, you little witch," he snarled, watching in satisfaction as Raven bowed her head, her dark blue hair obscuring her face. He would soon break her, even if it invoked her father's wrath.

Then the violet eyes suddenly reappeared as Raven raised her head, peering through the curtain of hair with all the hatred and defiance she could muster. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth; her glare seeming to scorch the very air with its intensity, she spat all that she could at his feet.

Slade snarled and drew his hand back, slapping her again. She only continued to glare, her anger and defiance not at all diminished. "You horrid little witch," he growled, readying for another blow. "I have you at my mercy! How dare you defy me?"

Slade made an abrupt gesture in the air. Immediately Raven screamed, as pain shuddered through her, scorching as though every inch of her skin was being burned away to ashes. She convulsed, wracked by agony, held still by the dark chains that bound her to the cold concrete, her shoulder throbbing, blazing with agony to every beat of her heart.

"Slade!"

Through the haze of red that drifted across her vision, she vaguely saw Slade sketch another symbol in the air as the voice echoed out of the shadows. Almost instantly the pain faded, washed away by a breath of cold that spread throughout her body, leaving her limp and gasping for breath, her bonds the only things keeping her from falling to the floor. His good eye narrowing, Slade took a step closer to Raven, his mask inches from her nose, his hot breath blowing on her face. "I will so enjoy seeing you die," he hissed, before taking a step back and surveying her contemptuously. "But first I must explain to you why it is necessary that you be killed."

"Explain away," she said acidly, all of the fear she had felt melting away, to be replaced by simple loathing. "My friends will be here soon, and I don't think they plan on letting me die."

"True," Slade sighed, regaining control of his anger, "So we must be quick. I want you to fully understand before that pesky Robin interrupts. You have heard the beginning of the prophecy, of course, Raven – but there is more."

"Of course," Raven said softly. "There always is."

"The skies shall burn," Slade intoned, ignoring her. "Flesh shall become stone. The sun shall set on your world, never to rise again."

He paused, his good eye glowing white, the copper of his mask glittering in the darkness. "Blood shall corrupt blood," he continued, the words echoing inside Raven's skull, sending a shiver up her spine. "Kin shall slay kin. Friends shall become enemies, and the princess of shadow shall come willingly to her throne. Her anger shall burn the world, and her blood shall break it; for when two birds fly to war, then the raven flies no more."

Slade's voice rose in power and volume, roaring to a crescendo that echoed back from the gloom that surrounded them. And still his piercing gaze never flickered, his tones never faltered, as Raven closed her eyes against the words, heavy with the weight of the world, echoing with a subtle power, that burned themselves into her brain.

"The Portal shall be opened, and the world of mortals shall be ended!"

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Robin stood immobile in the cold morning, his blank stare seeming to penetrate the steel and concrete of the tower that loomed like some hulking giant before him, the waves of the bay hissing and babbling as they splashed around his boots.

Alone again, he thought bitterly, beginning the solemn walk up to the tower, his gaze never leaving the once-welcoming door that now seemed to him a gateway to hell. Always alone. Always the stalwart hero, gloomy leader, never letting any friend close enough to even see your face.

Then, for the first time, you let someone in – and what happens? She tears your heart out, and then she's kidnapped. Some love life, Wonder Boy. And now here you are, alone for the very last time.

The crunching of gravel and stone beneath his boots suddenly stopped, and the white silence of the snow and the sky fell down upon him again, winter's cold breath hanging heavy in the air. Then, with all the somberness of a man lifting the dagger that would end his life, he took off his glove, reaching his hand towards the scanner that sat, blinking quietly, fused to the steel beside the door. Alone for the very last time. I hope you're waiting, Slade, because I'm coming.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Robin whirled around, his eyes narrowing in his mask, peering suspiciously at the three figures grouped behind him as though he didn't quite believe they were truly there. "You came," he said flatly, turning away from his team again and back to the tower that so resembled a cold skeleton in the gray morning.

"Yes, we came," Cyborg sighed, stepping forward, as though he wanted to put a hand on Robin's shoulder but thought better of it. "As stupid as it was, we came. If you're going to go rushing headfirst into a trap, we could at least make sure you stand a chance of getting out."

"I'm not leaving without Raven," he said harshly, not turning to look at his friends or acknowledging the sacrifice they were making for him. Cyborg didn't fault him for it; Robin was on a mission, and he could not afford to think about anything but the trials ahead.

"No one asked you to," the half-robot replied softly. "Now, how are we going to get in?"

This time Robin did turn to face his friend, though his expression remained as stoic and unfeeling as ever. "I thought we might use the door," he said dryly, in a tone that might have been sarcasm if the situation hadn't been so serious.

"Not a good idea." Cyborg raised one steel-plated arm, pointing to the dark, gaping gash in the tower's top floor, where the steel coverings that had come down when lockdown had been initiated had been torn through, and the glass panels underneath had been shattered. "If Slade broke in during lockdown, he'd have had to fry the whole security system. Touching that pad'll give you a nasty shock, and chances are it won't work."

"Fine." Robin turned on his heel, fixing Beast Boy with his deadpan stare. Taking the hint, the green changeling grew into a green pterodactyl that stood patiently on the shore, its wings folded, its long neck bent. Robin strode quickly across the rocky beach, putting one hand on the huge dinosaur's head and vaulting onto its back. As soon as he felt Robin fall into place Beast Boy took to the skies, launching himself from the shore and climbing swiftly towards the jagged-edged darkness far above. Starfire grabbed Cyborg's shoulders and followed, the ground falling away far below as the shapeshifter and alien reached their destination – Star setting Cyborg down gently inside in the shattered remains of the window, Beast Boy changing form and dropping inside as Robin leaped clear, landing on the glass-strewn carpet with balanced ease.

Almost at once Robin was back on his feet, pacing the length of the room, his eyes flickering past the shower of steel and glass debris that crunched beneath his feet, the scorch marks and embers that still smoldered in the carpet, the overturned sofa and spiderweb cracks that marred the door, as though something hard and implacable had slammed into the metal.

Stepping around the wreck that had once been the sofa, Robin turned his gaze on the far wall – and froze, his expressionless mask finally cracking as he felt his heart twist in pain.

Blood had pooled on the carpet near the wall, splattered in scarlet stains on the concrete and drying on the floor. And Robin, no stranger to the aftermath of battle, felt bile rising in his throat as he realized that the blood was not red, but a deep scarlet that was nearly black.

"Cyborg," he heard himself calling hoarsely, before he had known he was going to speak. "Cyborg, come over here. Right now."

Robin felt rather than saw the half-robot come to stand behind him, the red robotic eye widening as Cyborg, too, saw the bloodstains, coming to the same conclusion Robin had. "Raven?"

"We have to find her," Robin said softly, his trembling hands clenched tight into fists, his voice cold and implacable as steel. "I don't care what kind of trap Slade has set up, we have to find her. Now."

Cyborg didn't argue, knowing that Robin would go through hell and back if it would bring him closer to the lost Titan. Instead, he turned to Starfire and Beast Boy, who were staring wide-eyed at the carnage that had once been the living room. Beckoning for them to follow, he crossed over to the metallic doors and wedged his fingers into the crack that scarred them. With a gargantuan heave, he tore the doors outward so that they were hanging half off their hinges, then stepped aside, allowing Robin to lead the team out into the hall.

The Boy Wonder didn't hesitate even for a moment. As soon as he was clear of the dangerously swinging doors, he started off purposefully down the hall, calling over his shoulder to his team, "We're going down, to the basement. That's the darkest place in the tower – and if I know Slade, that's where he'll have Raven."

He did not need to add, If she's still alive.

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There was silence.

Slade stood perfectly still, as immobile and immovable as some bizarre sculpture, his single eye boring into Raven's brain, his voice silent even as the words of the prophecy continued to echo all around him. Raven didn't dare to open her eyes; it seemed to her pain-fogged mind that with the speaking of the prophecy some force had been unleashed in the room, some energy that made the air tremble as though from lightning's passing. She drew shallow breaths, vaguely afraid of drawing too much of that strange trembling into her lungs, as the last echoes of Slade's voice faded and died away.

Finally she dared to speak, if only to break the awful foreboding silence that now enveloped her. "Her anger shall burn the world……" she breathed, her voice tinged with fear.

"Yes, Raven," Slade said calmly, a hint of laughter in his tone. "Your anger. Your emotions, your blood, your destiny. Isn't it marvelous? A Teen Titan, defender of justice, vigilant hero, destroys the world – oh, I am quite fond of irony."

"There's a problem with your theory, Slade," Raven sneered, his hated voice jolting her out of her shock, letting her begin to recover from the foreboding spell of the prophecy and regain her former defiance. "The prophecy says that I will come willingly to my 'throne' – and I can swear to you that I will die before I will do anything willingly, for you or my father."

Slade stared at her for a moment, and Raven tensed, expecting another blow, another wave of excruciating pain for her impudence. Instead, for no apparent reason and to her utter shock, her enemy suddenly threw his head back and began to laugh.

"Exactly, dear Raven," he chuckled, his tone one of utter delight. "I couldn't have put it better myself. You will die – and you will submit to your father's every whim. All of your stubbornness and spirit cannot save you, and your friends will be helpless against your father's might. The prophecy will come true, Raven. In fact, if I know your pesky friend Robin, it will come true in just a few minutes."

"What – Robin? What does Robin have to do with any of this? What have you done to him?"

"Nothing, Raven, nothing at all. It is not me who will hurt Robin – it is you."

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"All right, team. This is it."

Robin's voice echoed strangely in the cramped corridor, filled with something sharper than ice and more implacable than hate. He stood with one hand resting on the knob of the door that led to the tower's basement, his steely gaze burning through the wood, his eyes cold and unreadable behind his mask.

"We don't know what Slade's done, what kind of traps he could have waiting for us. We don't know what he wants. But he has our friend. And I am not leaving without her, no matter what we find behind this door."

There was no answer, but no answer was needed. Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy exchanged a meaningful glance behind their leader's back, as Cyborg's sonic cannon replaced his metal hand with a soft electric hum.

Robin's gloved hand clenched tight around the handle and he yanked the door open in a single smooth motion, his staff out in his other hand and pointing into the descending darkness. His weapon held warily before him, listening closely for the slightest sound, he stepped over the threshold into shadows, every muscle tensed with something close to fear.

The muted murmur of soft voices rose from the darkness below him, fueling the raging torrents of emotion that roared in his brain, setting every inch of his skin burning as he crept down the stairs with the silence of practiced grace. His masked eyes flickered all across his line of sight, looking for some kind of light – the flashing of one of Cyborg's machines, the sputtering radiance of the dying lightbulb, anything. Only shadows met his eyes – it was as though all the light that should have been there had vanished into some endless abyss that stretched before and below him, and that he would plunge into as soon as he set his boot past the bottom stair.

There was a creak of ancient wood, and suddenly Beast Boy was beside him, tapping him warily on the shoulder. Resisting the urge to jam his staff into the changeling's windpipe, Robin left off scanning the gloom below long enough to glance at the green boy in acknowledgement.

"Wait here," Beast Boy whispered, his voice quieter than it had ever been before. Then, without another word, he vanished, seemingly into thin air. Turning around, Robin tried to catch a glimpse of where his green friend had gone, but there was nothing. The changeling had disappeared without a trace.

Running out of the long shadow Robin had cast along the stairs, a bright green rat leaped from wooden step to wooden step, vanishing with a flash of emerald into the darkness.

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"I don't understand."

Slade had stopped laughing, but the contours of his mask were twisted into a smile, and his tone was one of happiness and contentment. "Of course you don't understand, Raven," he replied smoothly. "You have never died. How do you think your father persuaded me to join him?"

"I never thought about that," she said mockingly. "It must have been hard to get a boneheaded bastard like you to go chasing after a teenage girl."

There was a rustle of movement from behind Slade, a flash of color in the shadows that disappeared before Raven could be sure that she had even seen it. But it had looked oddly green…….

Keep him talking, she told herself firmly, praying as she had never prayed before that the strange apparition was truly what it had appeared to be. Just keep him talking. Give them time…..

"Insolent girl," Slade spat, all of his good humor vanishing in a moment. "You have no idea of the forces you are dealing with." Taking a step forward, he closed one steel-gloved hand around her throat, cutting off her breath. "You have no idea the power your father possesses. The power a demon of Hell can wield."

He tightened his grip, watching in evident amusement as Raven coughed, choking and gasping for air. "At the moment of death," he hissed, "A powerful demon can inhabit the mortal body, trapping the soul within the dying flesh. The heart stops beating for lack of blood, the brain starves for air, and the flesh grows cold; and still the barest essence is contained within the corpse by the demon's power, the fleeting ghost of a soul."

Slade relinquished his grip on Raven's throat, taking a step back and watching with his single narrowed eye as she gasped for breath. "That merest glimmer of life is not enough to save the body; but through it, using it, amplifying it, the demon can take hold of the body and make it move and breathe again. Effectively bringing the dead back to life – only the life they return to is one of a slave, a helpless puppet bound to the demon's will. So I am – and so you will be, my dear Raven. Soon, very soon, you will die, and your father will take your spirit as he took mine, and set your body to rule beside him."

There was a soft, barely audible rustling in the gloom above their heads, just out of Slade's line of sight. Raven bowed her head, allowing her hair to hide her face, peering up between the blue strands, waiting, wishing –

It was only a flash, a split second, a single webbed green wing dipping once, in greeting, but that was all she needed. A bat's squeak, below the edge of hearing, a whisper of wings. The sign she had been praying for. We're coming. Hold on.

She didn't think Slade had seen – she had to keep him talking, keep him distracted, give the Titans time to come up from behind. Something, anything, she had to say something –

"The raven flies no more," she quoted, striving to keep his attention on her. "Is that why you took my powers? So I couldn't fly?"

"Yes, Raven," Slade said smoothly, clapping his hands together twice in a perfunctory round of applause. "That was very clever of you, to figure that out. But your father and I have since discovered that the spell he used to take away your powers was not enough. That clipping the raven's wings means something entirely different – something that will be a great deal less comfortable for you, but a great deal more pleasurable for me." Then, without turning around, his gaze never leaving Raven's face; "Do come out where I can see you, Robin. Sulking about in the shadows is not your usual style at all."

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Robin crept silently down the stairs, pushing the puzzle of Beast Boy's disappearance to the back of his mind. The green changeling was quite capable of taking care of himself…….. and while Robin knew that he was responsible for his team, and he knew that his attitude was cruel in its unfeeling acceptance, Raven was his one and only concern at that moment.

He hesitated for a moment on the bottom step, imagining that he could feel a cold breath of air from a depthless chasm waft up to him, and that as soon as he stepped to the floor he would begin to plummet, falling into the darkest depths of Hell and never touch bottom –

He set his foot down past the border of the wooden stair, gingerly, and relaxed when it settled on solid concrete. Crouching now, moving with all of the stealth of a cat in the dead of night, he crept forward inch by painful inch, following the sound of voices that was growing louder in his ears.

Finally, moving so slowly he was barely moving at all, Robin rounded a stack of abandoned crates that towered above him in the gloom, and looked on in shock as his eyes fell upon his prey.

The first thing he saw was Raven – chained to the concrete wall by twisted strands of darkness, her cloak hanging in tatters from her shoulders, her perfect white skin slashed by dozens of ugly scars and open cuts that still oozed dark blood. Her left arm was bent at a hideous angle, leaving little doubt that her shoulder was badly broken; and knowing how wantonly cruel Slade could be, Robin was sure that those weren't the only injuries she had sustained. But the thing that shocked him was that she was awake and speaking normally, as though completely unaware of tormented state she should have been in.

Robin felt his stomach twist and his heart throb painfully inside his chest as he realized the full extent of the harm Slade had done to Raven – his Raven. His head began to spin, and he took a step back, feeling physically sick at the sight of her mangled body. It was as though all of the fears, all of the nightmares he had ever dreamed had been fused into one, all the terrified visions of Raven hurt, Raven captured, Raven in pain – he felt as though every cut, every bruise that showed against Raven's white skin had been inflicted on him as well, multiplied by a thousandfold, and he couldn't see, couldn't think, couldn't breathe

His mind reeling, he didn't even notice when a large metal hand fell onto his shoulder, steadying him as he swayed dangerously on his feet. "Snap out of it, man," Cyborg hissed in his ear, his voice trembling. Robin realized with a start that he was not the only one shaken by Slade's cruelty; he vaguely noticed a green bat hovering in the air above and behind Slade, making very clear gestures with its teeth and wings that showed how much it would enjoy ripping Slade's head from his still-warm body.

Tearing his eyes away from Raven's scarred form, Robin noticed with a detached feeling of surprise that there was a strange blue haze hovering around her, sapphire sparks dancing along her skin, all coalescing into a faint glow that suffused every inch of her body.

"That glow –" Cyborg whispered, still standing just behind Robin, with the metal hand still on his leader's shoulder, "I've seen that glow before – oh, damn, Robin, that's Raven's healing magic! He must be controlling her powers now –"

"And he's making it so that she can't feel what he's done to her," Robin finished, his voice no longer trembling, but as cold and sharp as steel. "He can't talk to a captive that's screaming in pain. God, Cyborg, I'm going to kill him –"

"Shut up, man! He doesn't know we're here yet. We don't want him to –"

Slade's icy-smooth voice cut over Cyborg's bass rumblings, his tone holding all of the venomous pleasure of a snake sinking its fangs into its prey. "Do come out where I can see you, Robin. Sulking about in the shadows isn't your usual style at all."

Rage rose up in him – blind, unreasoning fury, a kindling of dull ashes into a roaring inferno by that feared and hated voice. His entire body burned, his mind filled by a white-hot torrent of hate and fire, his staff suddenly out and pointed at the back of Slade's head without him remembering reaching for it. He vaguely saw Raven's head jerk up and her violet eyes widen as she caught sight of him, but the paralyzing fear in their depths only fueled his rage. There was a red haze falling like a veil over his vision, a fiery torrent of hate that pounded in his veins, set his ears ringing, grew as a lead weight in his chest until he swore his heart would burst. The burning pressure rose from his chest, exploding out between his teeth in an animal roar of rage as he lunged, weapon out, for the enemy he had hated so long.

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Raven caught her breath as a crazed shout rang out from the shifting shadows and Robin, moving so quickly he was only a bolt of brightly colored lightning, his staff a glinting silver blur, exploded from the darkness and lunged at Slade's unprotected back. The villain did not move, did not turn around; Robin pounded ever closer, diminishing the distance between him, and his staff swung in for the blow that would snap his foe's neck –

Slade whirled around suddenly, catching the staff in one hand and holding it fast. Robin snarled with rage, trying and failing to yank his weapon from his enemy's grip, kicking and punching viciously with his free hand. Still managing to keep his fist clenched around Robin's staff, Slade twisted away from the rain of blows, kicking out one leg in a low sweep and knocking Robin's feet out from under him. The Boy Wonder crashed heavily to the ground, still hanging grimly onto the end of his staff.

Robin moved to roll away, only to find a steel boot resting on his throat. Raven felt herself gasp, unable to look away, her mind a blur of panicked thoughts – no, Robin, no, please, let him go, let him be okay, Robin, Robin, no!

"Raven!"

There was a harsh whisper, a flurry of movement and sound. Unable to tear her eyes away from the prostrate Robin, she could only nod slightly as she felt a cold metal hand close around her wrist, tearing at her shadowy bonds. "We'll get you out of here, Raven," Cyborg's deep voice whispered somewhere nearby.

"Robin –" she gasped. There was a flash of green out of the corner of her eye as Beast Boy ran up on her other side, tugging at the loops of dark chain.

"Robin'll be fine," the green changeling said grimly, sounding not at all convinced. "We'll help him in a minute, as soon as we get you down –"

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Bolts of fiery red lightning streaked past Raven, knocking Cyborg and Beast Boy aside, singing Raven as they passed. She looked to where Slade still stood over Robin, his foot on the young hero's windpipe, his gaze fixed on Robin's mask, one hand outstretched in Raven's direction.

"I cannot let you take her quite yet," Slade continued, presumably speaking to Cyborg and Beast Boy, though his eye was still on Robin. "Not until she has fulfilled her glorious destiny. Consider yourselves lucky – the most monumental event in the history of the human race is about to occur, and you will be here to witness it."

The outstretched fingers curled inwards, arching like claws, clenching into a fist in a swift, sudden motion. Immediately founts of flame erupted from the cold concrete floor, in rings around Cyborg and Beast Boy, forming fiery cages that kept them immobile. Raven heard a scream from beyond Slade – Starfire, who had been trying to attack the villain from behind, had met the same fate.

Slade straightened up, yanking the staff sharply from Robin's grip, pressing down on the hero's throat at the same time. Pulling the staff up out of Robin's reach, Slade twirled it between his fingers, admiring the weapon as it whipped through the air. "This is quite a nice little toy." Raising it up above his head, he clenched his fingers around the metal, effortlessly snapping it in half. "But I doubt you'll need it where you're going."

The eyeholes of Robin's mask narrowed as the separate halves of his staff clattered away across the concrete floor. He reached for his belt, closing fingers around a birdarang. Whipping it up, he began hacking at the boot and leg that held him pinned to the floor, trying to push Slade away and regain his feet.

"Now, now, Robin," Slade said disapprovingly, reaching down and snatching the sharp-edged weapon from Robin's hand. "That isn't necessary. Your own destiny is coming soon." Turning his masked face upwards, he spread his hands out wide in a gesture of entreaty. "You see how I have served you, lord? Here I have brought you four fine vessels – though I must say so myself, I do believe this one –" he pressed the heel of his boot into Robin's throat, making the Boy Wonder cough and wheeze as he choked for air, " – would be the most suitable, and the most satisfying."

"And for once, Slade," a monstrous roared from the nothingness around them, "I believe you are right. This shall be most satisfying indeed."

A red mist congealed in the air above Slade, like a shower of blood, writhing and twisting with the perpetual motion of a beast in mortal agony. Rippling outwards as though stirred by some unseen force, they spread in pulsing waves all across the ceiling, drawing close about the fiery cages that contained the three trapped Titans. It pressed against Raven where she was still bound to the wall, caressing her skin, canceling out the healing magic and igniting searing pain where it touched her. She drew in a sharp breath —

Suddenly, with no warning at all, the spreading rings of red mist reversed direction, racing in towards a single point, high above Slade and the prostrate Robin, an imploding star collapsing into a single flare of bright white light. It blazed hotly, burning itself into nothingness, rising and fading with the rhythm like the beating of a human heart, to the shrieking of tortured air. A spear of white light suddenly lanced down from the blazing spark, plunging downwards like a fork of lightning guided by some divine force and accompanied by a terrible crashing like the rumbling of slate boulders grinding together – plunging right into Robin's heart.

Raven stared, straining against her bonds, yelling and screaming, her voice drowned out by the unbroken shrieking of crumbling stone that accompanied the blazing light. The radiance burned her eyes, driving daggers of pain into her skull, but she didn't care – all she could see was Slade's rigid figure, his hands upraised in some hideous mockery of prayer; and Robin, pinned beneath his boot, writhing in pain, a tortured silhouette screaming below that continuing blaze of sound like a ghost in torment. The light enveloped him burning him away, his skin going up in white flames and his entire being turned to liquid light –

The horrendous shrieking of burning air that accompanied the light reached a final crescendo, a single hideous pitch that undulated on and on, while the white radiance that filled the room flared hotly for a single second that lasted for an eternity –

Then it ended, and Raven fell limp against her chains, her burning eyes closed, her bleeding ears ringing from the abrupt and terrible silence. Opening her eyes, she peered through the sunspots that danced before her vision, catching sight of the other three Titans, driven to their knees by the horrendous light, their hands clapped to their ears, their eyes tightly shut – all but Robin, who lay prone under Slade's steel boot, unmoving.

"Did I mention, Raven," Slade said conversationally, his voice echoing with terrible power in the silence, stepping away from Robin, "That a demon can also possess a living being?"

Robin's still body suddenly convulsed, his back arching, his arms reaching out, grasping at the air, his entire form twisted by spasms, wracked by pain. A strangled cry escaped his throat – and Raven, still bound and speechless, could only watch in horror as his gloves were suddenly split by long, yellowed claws that grew from his fingers, and horns grew from his spiky hair. A scarlet stain appeared on his forehead – a stain that began to spread, the deep, rich red color of blood flowing down his arms, his legs, until every inch of skin had been dyed with that hideous shade. And all throughout, Robin screamed as though in mortal agony, his cries muffled by the fangs that now grew in his mouth.

And then, suddenly, there was silence.

Slade took another step back, away from the grotesque thing that now lay still on the concrete floor. "Welcome, my lord," he intoned, "to the planet Earth. Welcome to thine future kingdom."

The creature stirred, rising into a sitting position, bearing its yellowed fangs in a feral grin as it looked around itself at the four trapped and horrified Titans. "You have done well, Slade," It hissed, its voice a hideous mockery of Robin's commanding tones. "I am quite pleased with this form."

Hauling itself to its feet, it continued to examine its surroundings, allowing the bound Titans to truly look at it for the first time; the face that still held a haunting resemblance to Robin's, the dark spines that grew from its head in mockery of Robin's spiked hair, and the scarlet skin that seemed to glisten and gleam like newly-spilled blood.

It raised one humanoid hand, examining the cracked and yellowed talons that grew from the tips of its fingers, flexing them with evident enjoyment. "Friends shall become enemies," it laughed, glancing up at Raven where she hung limp in her bonds. "How marvelously the prophecy is fulfilled. The form of your greatest friend now houses the most powerful enemy you could ever hope to face."

Taking a step closer to the bound and helpless Raven, it lifted a single talon to the base of her throat, pricking the skin until a drop of blood trembled and fell free. "Hello, dear daughter," it hissed joyfully. "Did you miss me?"

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I'm evil, aren't I? You know what comes next – the climax! Woohoo! Well, you know the drill – the more reviews, the faster 9 gets written! And Easter break is next week, which means plenty of time to write, so review, review, review! And that means you, softballtitan009!