Warning: Notice, you see I've changed the rating to a M because of this chapter. It gets very graphic and creepy. I think this is the..ahh what does my mom call it 'self-mutilator' in me. Yeah, that's it. -.-; Stupid therapy terms. Anywho, just wanted to give you guys a heads up.
Disclaimer: Don't own Teen Titans or the song Thoughtless by Evanescence.
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Slade growled and charged foward at Drusilla. She dodged his attack by darting to the side and her hands erupted in more flames. She attempted to punch his head but he grabbed her fist, ignoring as the material of his glove and flesh burned away.
"Despe-" She went to say but Slade gripped his hand around her throat. He lifted her from the ground, crushing her windpipe.
All of my hate cannot be bound I will not be drowned by your throughtless schieming So you can try to tear me down Beat me to the ground, I will see you screaming
Drusilla's feet dangled off the ground as she struggled for air the second time that night. She regained her logic and swung her legs to kick Slade in the stomach. He let out a grunt and threw her across the room, hitting another cold, steel wall. She tried to get up again but she was greeted in the face by a steel-toed boot. It broke her nose with a sickening 'crack' and she held in a scream.
"I wouldn't suceed, eh?" He growled, his masked face lowering to meet hers.
She tried not to cry, tried not to scream. All she could utter was the word, "Stop."
Thumbing through the pages of my fantasies
Pushing all the mercy down, down, down
I wanna see you try to take a swing at me
Come on, gonna put you on the ground, ground, ground
Slade laughed and pulled out a red switchblade from his many compartments in his belt.
"W-What are you gonna do?" She coughed out, the fear rising inside her.
Slade straddled her and took her wrists in her hands. He held them above her head and laughed. Her violet eyes widened as he flicked the shining blade open and tore off her sleeves. She saw the one revealed eye as almost red with insanity. He had gone completely mad.
"C'mon, scream for me...I wanna hear you loud and clear. Call out my name and tell me how very sorry you are."He hissed. She could feel his breath hot through the slits in his mask.
Why are you trying to make fun of me?
You think it's funny? What the fuck you think it's doing to me?
You take your turn lashing out at me I want you crying when you're bloody down infront of me
"No!" She shouted out, it hurt her throat to even speak, let alone yell from him choking her twice.
"Fine then..." He said in an almost seductive voice and brought the blade down to her wrist.
He laid it atop her blue veins and dug in, causing blood to boil to the surface. He continued with his same depth as he made the length down her arm, creating a line of crimson across her pale arms and the floor. Drusilla held a scream within her throat as she felt the blood sliding down her in a thick mixture.
"Scream." He said in a growl
"Never..." She rasped again, fighting the tears and the screams inside her. She refused to do what he wanted, for she knew this was wrong.
"Oh, what to mark next? How about this pretty face of yours?" He said with a chuckle and slid the blade down her cheek.
She thrashed her head to the side and winced as the blood flew into her mouth. It tasted metallic and disgusting. All the pain she was in, she growled and glared at Slade. Her legs flailed around in an attempt to knock him off, without sucess.
Thumbing through the pages of my fantasies
I'm above you, smiling at you, drown, drown, drown
I wanna kill and rape you the way you raped me
And I'll pull the trigger and you're down, down, down
Without warning this time, Slade put down the switchblade, keeping her hands bound above her head. He went to the neck of her dress and tore it off in a simple motion. She was left in nothing more than a set of a black bra and some black briefs. Drusilla's eyes widened. What was he doing? Slade gripped the switchblade again and dug it into the skin between her breasts. She winced as he made a long line down to her navel.
Drusilla's breath picked up. She couldn't take the pain much longer. Then he did something she would never suspect. He put down the switchblade again and removed his mask. In the few years she was with him, he had never taken off the mask infront of anyone. Not even that damned butler. His eyes were an ashen grey and his hair was short, black and spiked slightly.
Slade pressed his face near hers and chuckled. She could smell his breath was rancid and grimaced. He backed up a couple inches and glared at her. She mustered up all the energy she had left and spit in his face. He growled grabbed the switchblade swiftly, her spit running down his cheek. He went up to her hands and sliced her palms and fingers. She let out a small squeak and a tear fell. It went into the previous cut and mixed with the crimson liquid as it fell.
"Last chance, before I start having some REAL fun." Slade said mockingly. He lowered his head to her stomach and licked the clean the blood that emitted from the wound.
Drusilla couldn't stand it anymore. She let out a shrill scream and felt like she was going to throw up. Her body was in so much pain and she felt sick to her stomach. Slade smiled and put back on his mask. He stood up, knowing very well she wouldn't try and move.
"Now, Apprentice. You have learned a very valuable lesson I assume." He leaned into her face.
"Never, ever fuck with me like that again, are we clear?" He growled and gave her one last strike across the face.
All Drusilla could do was nod. She heard his footsteps as he padded away and looked up at the ceiling. She couldn't move and could barely breath. Suddenly, her vision was eaten away by darkness and she let herself fall in.
xXxXxXxXx
An hour two went by since then. Slade had stayed in his own quarters and didn't even make a move to see if his apprentice was alive. Drusilla was passed out for a long while until she felt a warm cloth patting at the cut on her face. Her violet eyes shot open to see Slade's butler nursing to her wounds.
"W-What are you doing?" She whispered out.
"I am cleaning you up. Now stay still." He said and placed a large bandage on the cut.
She lifted up her hands to see them covered in gauze and medical tape. Had Slade instructed him to do this? No, he wanted her to suffer, she knew that much. The butler set down a volume of books on her side table.
"No, he'll really kill me if I read anymore of those damned books. It's your fault I'm like this anyways." She hissed at the butler
He peered at her. "Read them. They'll be useful for when you learn the truth about him and all the bad people on this earth."
Drusilla merely tilted her head at the butler. Was he a spy in Slade's house? Or just a man who went down a wrong road? She began to inspect him. He wasn't all that old. Probably somewhere in his early twenties. Then upon closer inspection, he probably could pass off as even younger. She had never really seen him in full light before. He always kept himself in the shadows and darkness. With a closer inspection, she saw he had dark brown eyes. They were clouded with misery and sorrow. His black hair fell messily around his face.
"What is your name?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.
The Butler gave her a look as if to say 'you're joking, right?'. When she didn't respond with anything, he assumed she meant it and began to think. He sighed and finally grasped a response in his head.
"Aiden...I think it was, that was a long while ago..." He said in an almost pained voice. It had been so long since he was called something other than 'boy' or 'servant'.
The boy sighed and places his hands on her bandaged ones. "You may have loved Slade as a child, but he is a very evil man. I think you're starting to see that now."
Drusilla nodded. "Aiden...correct? How old are you?" She asked, peering at him, trying to set an age in her mind.
Aiden actually looked very surprised by the question. Again, he began to think. But this time for an even longer span of time. "I'm...fifteen."
"My...you look so much older..." She whispered, reaching her hand up to touch his face. It was covered in scars, much as she assumed hers would be in time.
He lightly grasped her hand and guided it down. "Yeah, he does that to you..." He whispered.
Drusilla sunk into her pillow and looked up at Aiden. He stood up and watched her carefully.
"A couple more months and he'll send you out to fight...when that time comes, that's when I can help you. I think I have a plan...but it will take time and earning back his trust..." Aiden went over to turn off the light and Dru let out a small squeak.
He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "No More darkness..." She whispered.
He gave her a small smile and walked out of the room, leaving the light on. She watched him walk away and then stared at the ceiling. She closed her eyes and her head filled with visions of Slade's exposed face, cutting her into little pieces and licking her wounds clean like some sort of animal. That's what he was to her now. A sick animal caught up in his own cat and mouse game.
Her eyes shot open and she fought so hard to not fall asleep. She didn't want to see him grinning down upon her any longer. Her wounds hurt as her mind played over how he dug into her with the knife. She winced as she fell deeper into the world of nightmares that was once filled with sweet dreams.
xXxXxXxX
"Where were you?" Slade asked, spinning his chair to face his servant.
The boy stood with an expression still as stone. He looked almost dead if not for the rising and falling of his chest. "You had asked me to re-arrange your case files, so I did."
Slade peered his one eye at the boy. He tried to recall asking him of such a favor and assumed that he had. This boy would never betray him, he haden't for all his life, or so Slade thought.
"Very Well then..." He said slowly and spun himself back around to face the large, looming television screens.
Aiden stepped up beside his 'Master' and looked down at him. "Sir, what exactly are you planning for this girl?"
Slade didn't move. "She'll be the one to take down the Teen Titans for me. The two of you, with my assistance of course, will then proceed to take over the world. Must I go over this plan with you every damned moment?"
"But...why haven't you just sent me? Why take this innocent girl?"
Slade growled and turned his head slowly to face Aiden. "You're poking your nose in things that are none of your concern. Now leave before I...well, we've been down this road before. I went on easy on her, did I not?"
Aiden's eyes widened slightly, not visable in the dark. "Yes..." He sunk back into the shadows, the memories of his 'punnishment' flashing before his eyes.
He sighed and walked down the hall to his safe haven-his room of sorts. The only place he could think for himself. He locked the door behind him and slid down onto the floor. That poor girl, he was going to tear her apart from the inside out. Aiden knew from his own time with Slade. The rape and the endless tourture he put anyone through if they made one tiny slip up. He was going to save Drusilla from this fate, even if it meant ending his own miserable life.
xXxXxXx One Year Later xXxXxXx (Drusilla's age: 15 years old, just so you guys know.)
Robin was dozing off on the couch when the building flashed red and everyone ran into the mainroom. The boy wonder jumped off the couch, fixing his mask as he went and typed furiously on the computer.
"Guys...It's Slade...and he's got someone with him. He's down at the docks, reciving a shipment of some sort...TITANS GO!" He shouted the teams comands and everyone ran out the door.
Everyone except Raven, she stood still as a stone as everyone rushed out of the tower. Beast Boy noticed this and dropped to the ground in his human form.
"Raven, c'mon. We gotta go!" The changeling urged her.
"Beast Boy...I have a bad feeling about this...We're not going to like what we see..." Raven's voice was a hoarse whisper, she sounded almost scared of going out there.
He frowned and gripped her hand. "C'mon Raven, we've gotta help the team."
Raven closed her eyes as Beast Boy flew her out of the tower. She had her eyes closed the whole flight down to the docks. She had to prepare herself, for she knew what was coming when they got there. Beast Boy had blown it off casually, but Raven felt sick to her stomach thinking about fighting Slade after he stole the thing most important in her life.
The Titans landed at Dock 5. Robin confirmed that it's where he picked up the signal from. A few sailor looking types floated around peering at the team as they stood in the shadows. Fog horns and ships pulling away into the dark sea could be heard all around them.
"Ahh, So glad you could arrive..." Slade's smooth voice came from above.
Robin's head shot upward, searching for a shadow to place the voice with. There was none. "Slade, stop hiding like a chicken and come out and fight!"
"Oh No, No Robin. I'm not going to be laying a finger on any of you. Titans...I want you to meet someone very special. Come on out now Darling."
The Titans looked over to their left as they saw two piercing, violet eyes appear in the shadows. They walked closer and closer until the moonlight shone over her. Her hair rested at her waist in a magical swirl of black and green. Her face showed a visable white scar down her cheek and her hands looked like she's been through a sewing machine and back. She was dressed in a black leather trench coat with a red tank top underneath, on her legs were a pair of black pants that clung to her figure and belled out at the end. She wore a pair of boots with high heels that were spiked to stab upon impact. Her lips were painted a deadly crimson and curled into a lovely smirk. A small, glittering tooth protruded from the smirk, just like her real father. The purple charaka above her forehead was glowing slightly.
"Titans. I believe you're very familar with...Drusilla." His voice rolled like a calm thunder as he spoke.
Starfire let out an audible gasp, while Robin went into a fighting stance. Cyborg's eye was wide in amazment and Beast Boy was near fainting. Raven, however, stood with a straight face. She had expected this, but still found that she couldn't move.
"Now, Totcher. Destroy them!" He yelled from above.
Drusilla let out an almost giggle as the flames appeared in her hands. "Time to teach you bad people a lesson!" She hissed and charged foward.
Robin looked back at Raven, if he could show panic through his eyes, this would be perfect timing. However, he gave Raven a distress wave and she nodded.
"I'll take care of this..." Raven said grimly.
"Raven...wait!" Beast Boy yelled.
The team tried to run foward but Raven stood infront of them, she created a shield so they couldn't stop her. Drusilla stood across from Raven, waiting for her to make a move. She didn't, she stood inspecting the girl with wide eyes. Finally, Drusilla grew bored and charged for Raven. The telepath clenched her teeth and shouted out her spell, causing the girl to fly backward. She stayed on her feet, hands still lit.
"Best you can do?" Dru mocked.
"No. I can do much better..." Raven muttered, almost a zombie in her shock.
Drusilla was growing weary. Slade had told her that the team would be very tough to overcome. Yet, there was just this one girl...no woman, who stood before her and held the rest of the team in a black dome.
"Drusilla. Just look at me. What do you see?" Raven said in a hoarse whisper.
"I see someone I need to take down!" She yelled and charged Raven again. She thrashed at the telepath with her lit hands, causing a few pieces of her cloak to burn off.
Raven held her wrists and glared into the girls eyes. "No. That's not what I mean. Don't we look...similar?"
Drusilla wriggled out of her grasp. "Why the hell do you care? And how do you know my name!"
"Because...Don't you see? I'm your mo-" Raven was cut off by Slade ramming himself into the telepath.
The Titans were released as Raven was knocked unconcious and they charged for Slade. Drusilla looked at the woman on the ground. Her monotone voice was echoing through her head. Perhaps they did look similar? Drusilla noticed that the woman had a small diamond upon her forehead like herself. The green boy that rushed up to her had green hair and...pointy teeth.
She was knocked out of her thoughts by a young man flying into her. She recognized him as Robin the boy wonder. Slade talked about him so much, he talked about how Robin was the best apprentice he ever had and how she should be like him. Drusilla's hands lit up and she glared at the boy wonder.
His masked eyes widened slightly. "Look, I don't want to hurt you. We can he-" His words were cut off by a firm punch to his head by Drusilla. The flames that surrounded her hand burnt off part of his mask.
He screamed and held his face. Raven's child or no, he had to fight. Robin retracted his bo staff and charged foward towards the girl. She blocked the pole with great skill and grasped it in her hand. It began to melt and hit the ground like liquid mercury. The boy wonder dropped the pole and charged at her with a bird rang. She burnt it into dust.
"Don't you see? Fire just burns your little toys." She mocked and punched him into a corner.
He tried to duck and block her attacks, but was getting burnt in the process.
"Please, we can help you. We can help you stop being evil!" Robin yelled.
"God, what is it with you people and talking? Just shut up and fi-" Her words were cut off by a green blast to her back. She flew to the ground with a scream and turned her head around quickly, venom in her eyes. There floated a very tall girl. Her hands and eyes were lit up green.
"Oh, someone new to play with!" Dru exclaimed and launched flames at the girl.
Starfire quickly flew around them and continued to throw starbolts. Drusilla cartwheeled out of the way and leaped for the alien girl. She was blasted back by what she recognized as a sonic cannon blast. Probably from the remaining member, the cyborg.
Drusilla lay on the ground, holding her head as she stood up from the attacks. Then she was surrounded. The boy wonder, the cyborg and the girl stood above her. She growled and stood up. They tried to stop her, but she spun around in a display of firework like flames, sending them all flying back against crates.
Slade put his hand on Drusilla's shoulder. "That's all for today. Let's go home."
The team lay battered and burned as they stood up to fight again, but found the pair to be gone. Raven lay still unconcious in Beast Boy's arms. The team stood in a small circle, deep set frowns and grimaces upon their faces.
"Well...What do we do now?" Beast Boy asked, looking at Robin.
The boy wonder furrowed his masked eyes in concern. You could see more skin than usual from his mask being burnt off, but it was crisp black from the scorching of the flames.
"We do what we always do...we plan, we prepare and we fight. To the death." Robin said grimly and walked off.
Starfire floated after him and Cyborg followed. Beast Boy clenched his eyes shut as he grasped Raven closer to him, following his team.
xXxXxXx
Drusilla sat in her room, her knees pulled close to her frail figure. Her mind ran over what the woman was trying to tell her over and over again. She slowly stood up and traveled over to the mirror. She sighed as she overlooked herself. Her arms and face were covered in multiple bruises, some from the Titans and others from Slade just hours ago. She stepped foward and tried to imagine the woman next to her. Her skin was pale, just like that woman. She began to click so many qualities that were similar.
The door slowly opened and Drusilla turned around, surprised to see Aiden standing in the doorway.
"May I come in?" He asked.
She nodded and watched through the mirror as he shut the door behind him and walked up beside her.
"What are you looking at?" He looked into the mirror to, as if trying to see what caught her attention so well.
She sighed and looked at both their reflections. "Nothing much. Just me..."
"He took you to battle today didn't he?"
"Yeah...and there was a woman there...she tried to tell me something but...I don't know. It just creeped me out because we looked so similar and I had no idea why." Her eyes looked down at the ground but then back up at her reflection.
Aiden gently put a hand on her shoulder. "I knew this was going to happen...that woman you fought...Her name was Raven Roth. Would you like to know about her?"
Drusilla turned to face her friend with a questioning look on her face. "What? How do you know about her?"
"Well...Slade talks about that whole team so much, I know them inside out."
"Tell me then. I want to know everything."
So then Aiden told Drusilla the long story of Raven's past. He told her all about Azarath and Raven's dark powers. Drusilla soaked it in with amazment that he knew so much about just one person. A long while later Aiden paused and looked at Dru.
"Drusilla...You know why you looked like that woman, don't you?" He asked, looking at her.
She shook her head, keeping her eyes locked on him.
"She's your...She's your mother. And that green boy you saw by her side...That's your real father. Slade just kidnapped you when you were very, very young and raised you as his own. You don 't belong here." Aiden put his hand ontop of hers as her eyes widened and she gasped.
Drusilla couldn't believe any of this. But then again, it was all starting to make sense. She had no idea how she haden't pieced it together earlier and almost cursed herself for her own stupidity. Then she began to wonder about Aiden. Was he kidnapped when he was younger too? Or did he choose to be Slade's servant?
"Aiden...Were you kidnapped too?" She asked, concern filling her eyes.
The boy let out a long, long sigh and nodded. "Yeah, I figured it out through my own research. I think I read in my files that my parents were part of some sort of leauge or something like that...I have no idea..."
"Oh, I'm so sorry that happened to you."
"Yeah, I'm sorry you went through the same thing. Atleast you didn't know your parents. Slade kidnapped me when I was two...I still have some memories of my parents, but they're slowly fading away." She offered the space next to her on her bed and he slowly sat down next to her.
She looked at his scarred face as he looked to the ground. His brown hair fell around his eyes in jagged spikes, giving him a mysterious look about him.
"I think it's time we got out of here." She whispered.
He looked up from the ground at her, a questioning look in his eyes. "What?"
"We've got to make a plan or something...I can't stay here any longer...now that I know the life I could've once had...C'mon Aiden. You've got to have something planned...just think."
She was right. He did have something planned. But he had needed someone elses help, and now he had it. Perhpaps, they could escape from here.
xXxXxXxXx
A/N: Okay everyone, there's your new chapter of: The Fire Within. Dreadfully sorry it got so dark...but I was in the mood for it...soo, that's what sprouted. Anyways, even if you didn't like it all that much, or if you hated it-Review Anyways. I'm still debating doing a romance between Aiden and Drusilla, so I'll probably have that cleared up in later chapters. Okay. 'Till next chapter: Emmery.