Has it been more than a week? If so I'm sorry and yeah you can kill me if you want...allow me to point out that you'll never get the last chap, or anything else from me, if you do. Ok, now this is important! Missy is the nurse from a couple chapters ago! She is full demon, though you weren't supposed to know that before. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused.

cutter-with-a-cause: LOL yeah that was the idea. -pts to opening message-

jambey: Yeah, I wanted you guys to at least be suspicious of her, but not entirely give it away. No problem, I understand. Oooh fun, and yeah I would have to agree with you that heels suck. They are pretty lethal, yes. So you gonna throw it or not?

Mina: Yuppers. Thanks. Yes, a very good thing because it means I have made a villian that might (dare I say it?) match up to Slade on the evil scale. LOL that pic sounds cool...wish I could draw something of the like, but I'm not very good with that sort of thing. Nah, I will not punch you and don't apologize! I love your reviews.

Scarredbyshallowness: Yessir...I'll get right to it, sir. This should be completed in the next chap. Thanks for reading my stuff!

CelticHeiressFiona: Okie day.

Mystyre: Yeah, I wanted it to be a surprise. -blinks then sobs- A-are you saying I don't love him?

Amber Myst: LOL no prob, -pts to opening message-

AriesFalcon: LOL good, you're surprised. That was the idea. No problem, I love your work. Hmm...long sleepless nights lol. You're certainly welcome...and I think this chap will be a bit surprising as well.

alena-chan: Good, it was supposed to be. I know, horrible cliffhanger. Thanks!

Child of Blood: LMAO hold your horses, I'm getting to it!

Okie dokie, shut up and read!

Venton vanished into thin air before their very eyes, an ominous chuckle whispering in the suddenly still air...in fact, everything was still.

"See you in Hell."

Raven gasped, bent over double and eyes squeezed shut as pain surged through her veins, throbbing in every joint and every bone. Through the haze of agony, she felt someone grab her by the shoulders. "Get out of her! Now!"

"But...R-robin-" Raven moaned as the pain intensified, crushing her chest and pressing the air from her body.

"I'll take care of that, now go!"

The empath felt that familiar shove, and though she fought and struggled desperately, she found herself leaving Robin's mind, spiraling back to her own body...but not before she heard him scream in pain.

"RAVEN!"

"No!" Her eyes flew open and saw, to her dismay, that she was back in her own body, back in Robin's shadowy room. The memory of the pain made her clutch her chest subconsciously, her brain struggling to comprehend all that happened. With a sickening jolt, she dropped her gaze to the floor, dreading what she would see.

Robin was sprawled haphazardly on the ground, still wearing the towel as he had been when she "left", but that wasn't what made her scream breathlessly. Deep wounds were pouring blood from every part of his body, legs and arms were bent at odd angles, the white gleam of protruding bone tainted with the deep crimson of fresh blood. A thousand curses and spells and meaningless words chased themselves around in her mind, but her body remained frozen, eyes wide and staring at what they could not tear themselves away from. Some cold and logical part of her brain realized what Venton had done. If he had healed Robin's injuries, he could give them back just as easily...plus interest. If Robin continued bleeding like this, he would be dead in fifteen to twenty minutes, that is, if his heart didn't give out before he could die of blood loss.

Fighting the urge to empty her stomach, Raven knelt beside him, her pale hands soon covered with the deep red of his blood. "Heal!" she thought desperately, releasing a small breath of relief as her hands glowed a reassuring blue.

But relief was soon replaced with horror.

As soon as the magic touched him, the blood flow quickened, his skin grew colder still, his lips tinged with blue. Eyes wide, she stared at her hands in terror and disbelief, watching the blood drip from her fingertips. Desperate, she reached out to try again, but froze with a small scream as his eyes snapped open, glowing a deep, familiar brown. His blue lips moved robotically, and it was indeed his voice...but not his words.

"Stop! You'll kill him! Let me, I'm doing my best, dear. Try to stop the bleeding." Robin's voice went from harsh and loud to quiet and gentle, some of Missy's warmth appearing on his frozen face as his eyes closed once again. With a gulp and a silent nod, Raven struggled to her feet and stumbled into the bathroom, grabbing an armload of towels and rushing back to him. Choking on a lump the size of a baseball, she pressed the towel against a deep wound in his chest, uttering a breathless prayer to Azar that, somehow, he would survive.

Missy knelt beside the crumpled form of Robin, turning him over with a gentle hand as the air all around them grew cold, the black sky and tormented earth replaced with an icy blue mist that fought to engulf his mind and smother all the life left in it. His masked eyes were open, his breath choppy and hesitant as he gasped and shook with pain and cold. Older and wiser souls than he would have been extinguished long before now, and yet still he held on to life, to hope. With a warm smile in her chocolate eyes, the demon leaned towards him, placing a gentle hand on his pale cheek and whispering, "What do you want, Robin?"

He stared up at her, racked with pain and quiet desperation. "R...R-raven," he moaned, face contorted into a grimace as a fresh wave hit him.

She smiled, feeling a great love and admiration for this strong young mortal. She had chosen well.

The smile faded slightly as a weak groan escaped his lips, too tired for screaming or crying. She locked eyes with him, a solemn expression on her kind face. "You are dying, young warrior. Too much of your precious life has departed, and now there is only a spark left burning. I can heal you...but there is a price, terrible for any soul as young and vibrant as yours to pay. Your life will be...temporary. Little by little, it will fade until even the strongest of healers cannot help you." She looked away, sadness smothering the happy gleam in her wise eyes. "You have a choice, Robin. If you pass on now, you will save yourself a great deal of suffering..." Her eyes stared unblinkingly at him, lips pulled into a tight line as a single, glistening tear rolled down her ivory cheek. "But without you, countless others will pay the utmost. Including Raven."

Robin's breath seemed to freeze in his chest as her eyes penetrated deep inside of him, finding all his doubts and fears. Somehow, her presence seemed to quiet them, loosening their choke-hold on his neck and bringing a partial peace to his mind. There was no question. He knew what he had to do. "C-can't...leave her...do it...I..." He swallowed, struggling for breath. "I'll do...what I have t-to."

Missy's eyes closed for a moment as more of the prisoner tears escaped from the cage of dark thick lashes framing her eyes. She leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Honorable choice, brave one." A deep breath calmed her nerves and erased all emotion as her hands began to glow a bright white, preparing herself for what would undoubtedly be an extremely draining use of her powers. Strengthening her resolve, Missy placed a hand on each side of his chest and whispered her mantra into the silence.

"Kaelin Trinadon Zaria."

Four towels, completely soaked, and still the blood poured from his broken body. Her tears fell freely, she wretched, screamed, moaned, whispered pointless words of comfort and desperate plees, stared silently at his blue-tinged face, gripped his wrist only to feel a pulse that was ever-weakening. Her only love was dying slowly and agonizingly before her very eyes, and there was absolutely nothing she could do to save him.

Raven had never felt so weak and helpless in her life.

"Robin, I...I can't say goodbye to you. If you leave, I..." Her voice broke, shattered in the silent air. "I can't. Not without you." Her chin trembled slightly as hot tears streamed down her cheeks to fall on his icy skin as she held him close to her, his blood--his life--seeping through her clothes and sending a shiver over her skin. All along, she had been slowly losing him. All along, he had loved her, but it had taken this for her to realize she returned that love. She had given him what he ached for in the moment when it mattered the least. Death threw Her all-encompassing shroud over him and stole him away from her; that weak, budding love froze in the icy cold of Her darkness. The bond between them, once so precious, was now a knife in her heart, a cruel reminder of how fast he was fading out her reach.

Raven cried, she held him, she loved him. But would it be enough?

Yup, you guessed it, another cliffhanger. This will either have two more chapters, or a very long epilogue.

Ok, to clarify, when Venton left he removed any healing he did to Robin, leaving him in the state he was before he took control, but a little worse out of spite. Missy told Raven to leave because she couldn't risk her dying with Robin should things go wrong. The pain she felt was Robin's pain, shared with her and Missy because they were with him in his mind. Now that that is cleared up, if I don't update within a week, you can kill me. -Dusty