1A/N: Another chapter up. A bit short but next one should be tomorrow. What o what will happen now. Probably something bad because too much good stuff happened last chapter. No review responses this time because I'm in the grove of writing this story at this exact moment and don't want to get off track. I'll have very nice ones in the next chapter. As always, let me know your honest opinion of how things are going as we head closer to the conclusion of this story. It will be nice to finish another one. I think this will be the third complete one though I some how always end up wanting to continue things when there done. Oh wellz, that's it.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans so lets not try and sue me since I don't have anything to sue for.
Finding Hope Again
Chapter 12
By: Finalitylife
Richard carefully drifted through the shadows of Jump City with Raven tightly in his arms. Every strange noise, every gust of wind had his immediate attention. He would not allow anything further to happen to her. He would not let another wonderful being fall into darkness because of himself. Thankfully, the city was eerily dead, as if it knew the importance of secrecy for the two as Richard took her to safety. He noticed that not once did she stir in his arms as he carried her which worried him that she might truly be sick as he suspected before if she could simply fall asleep in these circumstances. Eventually they arrived at the intended destination which looked no more than another rundown building, just like the one Raven had been imprisoned it. All the windows and doors were heavily boarded up and the whole building had a "keep away" aura to it. Richard moved around to the side of the building and kicked away some garbage to reveal a secret door. It was moments like this that Richard was chillingly reminded of how just alike he and Slade were. The place he had found Raven was hauntingly similar to where he was now taking her though the interior would be much more comforting that her previous experience. He slipped into the door being extra careful with Raven and pushed the door shut with his body after getting in. He kicked a heavy, metal barrier on the inside of the door ensuring that if anyone tried to get in this way, he would definitely hear their entrance. Easily seeing in the dark of the room and knowing the exact layout, Richard had no problem navigating to where he wanted to go, a small bed in a nearby room, where he slept, though rarely, whenever he found himself in Jump City hunting Slade...when Nightwing was still in control. He gently placed his precious bundle on the bed and placed as many covers over her as he could find to keep her chilled body warm. This place was incredibly cold and he didn't want Raven getting any more sick if that was what she was. Richard gently placed his hand on her forehead, to see if he felt warmth but found it to be cool to the touch. He smiled slightly. If she was anything like normal humans, then she probably wasn't sick, most likely just completely worn out and sadly, probably traumatized by the whole incident. Richard studied her sleeping face and couldn't help but take in the ethereal beauty in front of him, a face that had never left his mind after all these years, the face that had finally brought him back from the darkness...though sadly, maybe only temporarily.
Richard could feel Nightwing in his mind, no longer screaming or laughing manically. Rather he only carefully whispered words that made him cringe slightly, fears that he hoped to never see, possibilities that he prayed would never come to pass. Richard knew Slade was out there somewhere and would eventually realize that he had managed to take Raven back from him from right under his nose. He knew that Slade would eventually come looking for his missing guest as well as his wayward apprentice and the young man only hoped to not be here when Slade inevitably found the location. Right now however, Raven needed her rest so he would not risk moving her again through the cold night. He would stay ever vigilant while she needed him, and when she was ready to move, he would be there to take her where she needed to go. Richard would protect Raven no matter what, protect her just as Starfire had once protected him, and he was willing to give the same as that beautiful, innocent girl once did. He had realized that his life had been completely worthless for a long time now, that he had wasted years of his life in a futile attempt to try and escape reality by consuming himself with vengeance and hatred. However now he had a real purpose, he had something to do that truly meant something honest and pure. He had to make sure Raven never felt the foul touch of Slade ever again and that the madman would never make her be in fear again. He would comfort her when she needed it, stand by her in any situation, he would be there to hold her in the darkest of times. When this was all over, he knew he would finally get to go home, have some of his family back, truly have his Raven to hold and to l... Richard suddenly felt a wave of near unconsciousness hit him. He braced himself on an old wooden desk in the same room he was in, trying to clear his head, trying to get his vision to stabilize but it didn't seem to want to. He felt his limbs going numb and a strong ringing in his head caused him immense pain. His body seemed to be getting warmer as he felt sweat forming on his face. Richard felt nausea strike and knew he needed to get to a bathroom which was just down the hall. He tried to get there but the second he tried to step he stumbled and fell hard to the ground. He felt the numbness increase and was having trouble even feeling the ground. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. Somehow, he found the strength and coordination and began crawling toward the bathroom and vomited what little he had in his stomach into the toilet, however, this did not help to make him feel better at all. The ringing in his head seemed to hit a high pitch and he felt like his head was going to explode but it simply disappeared though it did not get quiet. It seemed like there were voices in his head...well more voices than usual though they seemed to be just at the edge of his hearing, unable to make any of them out. Richard pushed himself to his feet off of his knees grabbing the nearby counter to hold himself up. His breathing was becoming more ragged and his body now felt like it was on fire. He slowly looked up into the mirror in front of him and despite all the heat in his body, he still felt his body turn dead cold. Staring back at him was not himself but rather the dark visage of Slade.
Richard simply stared wide-eyed at the mirror, not moving as he knew that if he tried to, he would simply fall to the ground. The murmuring voices in his head slowly quieted down as a single, familiar voice made itself clear.
"Hello Robin. If you are hearing this message, then my nanobots are in your body. I guess you never know what you will get infected with in a dark, dimly lit hallway." Richard felt more pain course through his body but only gritted his teeth as he realized what Slade was saying. The exploding light bulb, the dust he breathed in, it had happened again, just like before when he was infected by the dust on Slade's mask, had fought Slade in his mind, when Raven had entered his mind to save him. How could he have been stupid enough to fall for the same exact thing twice.
"Though these nanobots will not permanently alter your mind without further injections, they will provide an interesting test so to speak. This will show me exactly how effective they are and just how strong your will is to continue to resist me and your darker, truer self ." Though this was only in his mind, though this vision of Slade standing in front of him were nothing but a product to what was in his body affecting his mind, Richard knew that somewhere in the city, Slade was smiling with complete amusement.
"I'm sure that at the moment you are in quite bad condition as your body tried to resist the foreign invaders in your body but eventually all that pain will go away, along with your control and your conscious. I'm sure when that all finally happens, my apprentice will find something to do to keep himself occupied for a little while. I'm sure the little bird will be more than happy to keep you company." Another wave of pain hit Richard causing him to convulse slightly though the physical pain was nowhere near as painful as the stab of fear in his heart. He wanted to call out to Raven, tell her to run, get away from him as fast as she could but he could not make himself do anything except shake in more pain. Of course he was sure she wouldn't be able to do much at this moment even if he told her to. Slade laughed within his mind.
"Also dear boy, when fully functioning, the nanobots will give me a rough estimate of where your located so I should be seeing you soon to see first hand how my first test went. I have no doubt it will be a complete success." With those last words, the voice faded but so did Richard's consciousness as he well into darkness on the cold, bathroom floor.
After an unknown period of time, the limp figure on the ground slowly rose to the ground though no longer showing any sign of pain or lack of coordination. The man stood tall and strong as he clenched his hand in front of his face as if checking to make sure everything was in proper working order. The man reached into his belt and pulled out a black mask and pressed it securely to his face, concealing his eyes that now held an obvious look of madness in them. A frightening grin etched itself on to his face as he turned around and left the bathroom slowly heading toward a single destination right down the hall, the same room he had crawled from in incredible disorientation not that long ago though now it was not the same person returning to the room that a dark angel rested in. As the dark figure walked into the room, he gazed on the face of the woman, the only part of her visible with all the blankets. This was the same woman who had tried to keep him from his true potential, keep him from his place at his Master's side. The man felt a rush of anger as he looked at her sleeping peacefully but quickly smiled maliciously as dozens of wonderfully horrible things he could do to her flooded his mind. As if sensing his darkened thoughts through her empathic abilities, Raven's eyes slowly opened and were drawn to the only other presence she could feel in the room. She looked upon, the tall figure who was smiling a very strange smile and slowly mouthed a single name...Richard. The dark figure only smiled an even more frightening smile as he shook his head no to the shivering young woman in the bed in front of him.
