Well, it's been awhile; took forever for the muse to descend, and when it did it was like getting your skull smashed in with a big, stupid rock. I've had writer's block for awhile, and it's really taking a toll on me, to keep writing constantly like this. I guess it's my fault, though, starting so many stories at once… This is the fight scene I haven't failed to shut up about, and, though I think it'll be pretty good, I had to sacrifice a lot of stuff to get this just right, including any chance of me actually getting to sleep for the next three weeks to come. Hope you like this…
Chapter Fifteen: Ghost in the Graveyard
Slade-
The Titan gasped in horror as he whirled around to face the man who had sneaked up on him, raising his fists in an attempt to defend himself. Slade regarded him calmly, hands folded neatly behind his back, as if Robin's reaction at his sudden appearance was amusingly pathetic.
"Is that really necessary, my dear boy? I simply want to talk…" Slade left the sentence hanging, deep voice somehow reverberating in the quiet air. Robin glared at him, remaining silent in his fury, yet Slade could see the way his former apprentice eyed him with burning curiosity…it must have been killing Robin, to be so clueless about his plans, the unknown future lying before him…the future that would change everything…
"There's nothing to talk about, Slade!" The teen snapped, muscles tensing as he waited for some sudden, unexpected attack. The villain not advance though, instead saying casually:
"No? Have you forgotten about your little friends back in Jump so quickly?"
Robin bit his lip, no doubt resisting the urge to start screaming. That would have most certainly been something to see…Slade waited for the day when Robin would be willing to unleash all inner rage, on enemies and friends alike. He continued with:
"Or what about your friends here? You think they're safe here, with Batman? I thought you'd have guessed by now…"
"Guessed what!"
Slade leaned forward slightly, creating the feeling of "confidence" between the two of them.
" 'Hell is empty…'"
"… 'All the demons are here…'" Robin murmured. "William Shakespeare…The Tempest…"
Slade laughed wickedly.
"Sharp as ever, I see."
Robin shook his head, moving behind his mother's headstone to distance himself from the mad man.
"I…I don't understand."
"You will…you will…"
Robin-
That didn't sound good, no matter what Slade was implying. If only there was someone else here today…He shouldn't have left…And his communicator was still off. Nobody knew where he was…Slade could do whatever he pleased, and nobody would be able to find him…
Then I guess it's up to me.
"What are you planning?" He demanded, using an age old question to keep his nemesis talking, while one of his hands began creeping towards a compartment in his utility belt…
"Now, Robin. If I told you, would it be any fun? Besides, I can assure you: It won't remain a mystery for long."
"Oh really?" The hero spat, fingers inching towards one of his birdarangs…he was so close…
"No matter what, my friends and I will stop you!"
"Oh? And how can you be so sure that your friends will still be alive to help you?"
Robin paled, and, for a moment, forgot about the weapon he was still reaching for.
"You wouldn't dare," He hissed through gritted teeth. Slade shrugged uncaringly, as though it made no difference to him.
"I might and I might not. It all depends."
"On what?"
"On whether everything goes accordingly…I suggest you think around the lines of… Holocaust."
"Holocaust?"
Of course; Slade's new partner. That had to be what he was talking about. Still, why did everything depend on him? An even better question: What the hell was Slade doing with a partner in the first place? He didn't seem the type that liked splitting things 50/50. Somehow, Robin managed to swallow the lump in his throat and whispered:
"I—you—everything isn't…can't be real…"
Slade cocked his head to the side, as if intrigued by Robin's inane mutterings, though he waited for the boy to continue. Finally, Robin managed to yell out:
"How? How is this happening—You should be dead!"
Slade's eye seemed to glow almost red for a moment in the dim afternoon light, before he growled:
"Who says I'm not?"
It was at that very moment that Robin whipped out his birdarang, flinging it at Slade as hard as he could. He didn't bother to wait and see if the weapon made its mark, but turned and began running towards the back gate. He had to get to Raven and Beast Boy, to make sure they were still safe…
Holocaust-
"Beautiful…such a marvel…"
The demon watched, entranced, as glowing tongues spread higher and higher on the storehouse, devouring everything in its path with incredible speed. Some of the employees staggered past his stock still form, screaming as fire burned their clothing and flesh alike, throwing themselves to the ground in agony. Holocaust barely gave them a second look as he adjusted the ragged coat that hung limply about his shoulders, hiding his prize beneath the fabric.
Everything was going according to plan, and he had acquired exactly what he and his—ugh—partner needed to complete the final stages of their weapon.
One of these days, Slade…one of these days…
Holocaust turned lazily on his heel and meandered his way down the nearest alley street, not bothering to see if anyone was watching. Any bystander in their right mind would be drawn to the blazing bonfire, not looking twice at someone like him…which worked well to his advantage. Now, the only thing left to do was find the Titans.
Robin-
Heartbeat slamming in his ears, Robin whipped through the abandoned cemetery, dodging the solemn gray headstones that jutted up from the ground at odd intervals. The wind was bitterly cold, making it difficult to breathe as he dashed hopelessly, trying to lose Slade, in case the man chose to follow. The tree branches seemed to reach out like relentless claws, attempting to impale him; the bark on their stumps suddenly appeared twisted to look like gaping, horrified mouths shrieking, as if there were souls trapped within.
"God, please help me…"
Something latched on to his ankle from below, dragging him downwards to hit the brittle earth. Robin instantly yanked his foot away, withholding a cry of terror…it was just a gnarled piece of wood, knocked over by a storm from some previous time beforehand…yet it had felt like something else…or someone else was reaching up from beneath the soil where they lay buried, to drag him down…
Scrambling to his feet, Robin continued his desperate sprint. Above, wind chimes clattered eerily, as if they were playing a funeral hymn…his requiem, while the wind gently called out a haunting melody like a lone mourner as the end approached.
Stop thinking about that. You're not going to die…
From in the distance, cold, iron stakes rose from the ground like sharp pikes, ready to bury themselves into an intruder's unsuspecting flesh. The Gates of Hell. Robin banished that thought from his racing brain as he hurled himself at the entrance, hand slipping nervously as he tried to yank open the handle to no avail. It was locked…how had that happened? There was no way he could fit through the narrow gaps between the bars, nor could he vault over the top. He was locked in with his worst enemy—
"Leaving so soon, Robin?"
The teen turned his head and was hit viciously in the mouth, tasting blood as he fell backwards onto the ground, gazing up into Slade's malicious eye, noticing dimly that a dark stain was blossoming on the man's black outfit, directly over…his heart? But—
"That's…that can't be right…how—why are you still alive?"
"You should know that I'm not through with you yet."
Batman-
"Master Bruce?"
Batman barely spared Alfred a glance as he swept back into the house in a dark fury, still dressed in his cape and mask.
"Is something the matter, sir?"
Bruce clenched his fists, close on the brink of losing it, as he muttered distractedly:
"Alfred—Has Richard come back yet?"
The butler frowned a bit.
"No…no, he has not. It would seem that he is still quite bitter over your argument. But…may I ask as to w—"
"What about his friends?"
"I beg your pardon, sir?"
"His friends; the two kids that came with him. Are they around here?"
Alfred hesitated, thinking back to when he had last seen them…
"No…no, I believe they are gone as well."
Batman could have roared with frustration.
"Well, where did they go!"
"They must have gone looking for him, sir. They seemed quite worried about where he might have gone. Yet, may I ask, why is this so important—?"
"Because there's a lunatic out there who's hell bent on killing all of them!" Batman yelled at the top of his lungs, slamming a fist down on a nearby desk and nearly cracking it in half. Alfred looked taken aback by this alarming outburst, but nodded in his usual manner all the same and said quietly:
"I understand, sir. Will you be leaving to go look for them?"
Bruce nodded sharply and was about to go, when:
"Oh, Master Bruce?"
What now?
"I have reason to believe that Master Dick might have given out your telephone number, sir."
Batman raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"What makes you think that?"
"Awhile ago, a young woman—rather hysterical, I might add—called, telling me that if 'anything were to go wrong, she should contact you immediately,' according to a young, male visitor."
Bruce stared at him blankly.
" 'If anything goes wrong?' Where was this woman calling from?"
Alfred shrugged lightly.
"She claims she is a nurse in Jump City. That is it, though. Quite honestly, I don't know who she's talking about."
Bruce's eyes narrowed warily.
"What exactly has gone wrong?"
Robin-
Slade's attacks came without hesitation or mercy, so smoothly it was if they were all but one connected motion, instead of different blows; Robin could hardly keep up, barely having time to block before the man's fist connected with his body. Already, his limbs were growing stiff and heavy like lead, and his lungs were gasping wildly in their intake for air.
You'll never be fast enough, you'll never be good enough; you'll never beat him…
Robin winced at his own mental abuse, cutting him down, before charging forward with a battle cry, fist raised. Slade dodged it easily, before continuing to twist it sharply, until the boy yelled out loud from the pain. Hurling Robin over his shoulder, Slade flung the hero from him, sending him crashing into a statue; the teenager felt stone crack beneath the sudden application of weight. He wrestled himself from it's firm grip, turning to see the image of an angel, gazing down upon his battered form sweetly, arms spread wide as if ready to embrace. How ironic; like the power of good could save him now.
Robin remembered, just in time, to move out of the way, ducking low to avoid his adversary's punch, and Slade's fist struck the statue's wing instead, shattering it to crumbled pieces on the ground, before he glared about wildly, trying to locate his victim. Robin, however, was already flying along the browning grass, making his way towards the front gate, stumbling over unseen mounds of dirt and roots of the oaks that towered above him. If the caretaker couldn't hear this—
The Boy Wonder skidded to halt, nearly falling into an empty grave, just barely preventing the twisted ankle he would have surely obtained had he gone one step farther. Funny…wasn't this the exact same place where that old man had been digging…?
Breathing a slight sigh of relief, Robin turned and was greeted with a nasty shock as he came face to face with the old man, eyes wide with disbelief: He was pinned against a tree trunk by a knife jammed through his throat. Robin clutched his stomach and turned away, ready to be sick out of disgusted horror.
"Like it?"
Robin barely turned his head before he received a heavy crack! resounding off his skull; spots blazed before his eyes and for a moment, he was worried that he might black out. Somehow, he stayed conscious and, turning his back on the corpse, began attacking again, though his moves were a bit sluggish and everything trembled before his gaze before he regained balance.
I'll never win this.
Raven-
"Come on, Rae! We've been walking in circles for hours!"
"Actually, it's only been thirty minutes."
"Oh, whatever! Look, let's just go back to that Batman's place, okay? Robin's probably already there, waiting for us to come back!"
"I doubt it."
"You 'doubt' everything I say…"
"For good reason, too."
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Absolutely nothing."
Beast Boy threw his hands up in the air with dramatic exasperation, as he lagged behind Raven's slim form, whining under his breath about "how his feet hurt." Raven, who could hear him only too well, rolled her eyes and continued marching forward. If it was the last thing she did, she had to tell Robin about her dream; her friend had already been put through enough torment involving Slade. She wouldn't let her premonition come true, wouldn't allow the masked man to put Robin under his brutal apprenticeship.
Raven paused, sending out her dark power like feelers, trying to latch onto Robin's presence, biting her lip in painful hope.
"Come on, Robin…where are you?"
She received no answer, as if he had been cut off from the bustling world in which all of them lived, drawn into a universe where the Titans could no longer reach him…God, she hoped that wasn't true.
"Hey…"
Raven turned, desperately wishing she could shut Beast Boy up for good. If he complained one more time, she was probably going to have to break Robin's rule about not banishing team mates to another bleak dimension. However, this was not what he had in mind.
"Do you…do you think Starfire and Cyborg are okay?"
A question like that took her aback slightly as Raven merely stood there, unable to answer for a few minutes. Finally, she cleared her throat and said in a surprisingly soft voice:
"Nothing is certain."
The changeling sighed and averted his eyes to the pavement.
"Oh. I just…I was just wondering what you were thinking."
Raven gave him her widest smile possible.
"If it makes you feel better though…Yes. Our friends are strong. I'm sure they're all right."
Beast Boy glanced up, startled look melting into a broad grin as well.
"Yeah…Thanks, Rae. You're right! Let's go!"
The two of them hurried towards the next street, both feeling slightly better than they had before.
If only they knew the truth…
Robin-
Slade's knuckles grazed his right cheek, as Robin tripped over backwards, foot ensnared on a tree root. The madman began moving forward, towering over the boy's helpless form, even as he struggled to free his foot to no avail. That one eye, an entity that would haunt him till the end of his days…
Give up.
"NO!"
With a final wrench, Robin jerked his foot free and, without bothering to think, sent his entire foot into Slade's chest with almost inhuman force. It is amazing, how rage can fuel a human soul, giving them such an outburst of strength. Slade grunted with pain and, falling over a headstone behind him, went crashing through the doors of a nearby mausoleum, disappearing from Robin's view. A cloud of dust flew up, serving as a sort of impromptu smokescreen, and the teen had to turn his head away as the wind blew it directly in his face.
Silence settled over the graveyard once more.
The mausoleum was still, as the dust began to settle again after being disturbed. It was as if nothing had entered to begin with…Had he really sent Slade flying in there, or was it just another illusion? Boots clicking slightly on the plain, slabs of rock that served as a makeshift path towards the opening, Robin approached with caution, squinting in at the unknown territory within.
There was a pause. Then—
A hand shot out without warning, latching onto Robin's wrist in a painful grip, and he gasped in pain, trying to pull away as Slade dragged him into a world of darkness. Behind him, the doors swung shut, and the boy heard the distinct, click of a lock sealing him in with the dead.
His shallow gasps for air echoed in the dark confines of the mausoleum as Robin blindly tried to reach out for something to hold onto…something to keep him going. His heart was thudding madly in his chest like a drum and he could barely think straight. Darkness was creeping towards him like a monster on soft, padded feet, waiting for the unsuspecting prey to stumbled into it's grasp. Slade's sneering voice came from out of the shadows, somehow twining a foreboding spell about his body, and making Robin shiver and wipe sweat from his forehead.
"Is something the matter, Robin? Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark…Don't tell me you're afraid of me…"
"Never!" The Boy Wonder screamed at the shadows, voice echoing in the silence and bouncing back off hidden walls so that it seemed like a thousand ghostly duplicates of him were still yelling…
Somebody help me…
He felt like he was going to suffocate in his fear—No! He couldn't think of that. Right now, all he needed to do was figure out a way of escaping…even if the walls seemed to be closing in, trapping him…Robin slammed a fist violently into the bolted door that blocked him from getting out. He felt like a caged animal clawing frantically in a pitiful manner as he tried to get away; Right where Slade wanted him…
He couldn't stand being alone, so close to the dead…the unknown. Robin always fought, tooth and nail, to overcome his issues, his enemies that he faced back at home everyday of his life…but this…was different…he'd lost so many to the clutches of death…this was something he wasn't sure he could face…
It wasn't fair, Slade playing on the things that mattered the most.
"…Let us always remember, that though those who we love may seem lost for good, they are forever with us in our hearts. Let us live with the knowledge that they have ascended to a greater place and are now watching over us, guiding our actions with their words of comfort. For we will, one day, see them again. Here lies John and Mary Grayson, beloved husband and wife. Amen."
"Amen," The sea of mourners murmured together in one voice. Some of them broke down sobbing in uncontrolled grief, others watching the coffins being lowered into the earth with pale, clenched faces as if just barely holding their composure together. Many of them passed by, patting him on the shoulder or muttering how sorry they were…he didn't bother to listen to them. He remained well after the last of the crowd had left, looking on with tearful eyes as his parents were covered by mounds of dark earth.
"I won't give up, Slade!" Robin yelled, coughing as thick dust poured into his mouth, making him choke slightly. "I won't give in, no matter what you do!"
As if to prove his point, the hero rammed his shoulder into the door again, silently wishing that it would crack open, if not only a tiny bit. What was holding the door closed? And then, as he paused to massage his now bruised side, Robin heard Slade's voice seeping towards him from behind the massive, metal doors.
"Oh, I know…But if I am out here…then you must consider who is in there with you…"
A chill ran up Robin's spine, even within the humid insides of the mausoleum, and he whirled around, back facing the wall as if to make sure nothing would sneak up on him. It was getting so hard to concentrate, though, with his head spinning weakly…grime seemed to be coating his lungs…
---------------------
Everything was blended together to form one great big blur, the colors shifting before an unsteady pair of eyes…the memories were so distant, as if they had come from some world almost a million light years away—
Raging heat, pulling away at flesh, scorching all of the body with it's burning touch—
Voices were yelling urgently in fragile ears…faint, distant voices that grew more distorted by the second…someone new…barging in, demanding…losing focus…blood, blood everywhere…Air was impossible to inhale…losing…losing life steadily…
"Robin…" Starfire managed to choke out before crimson covered her vision again.
Robin-
He felt feverish and sickly, as he sank to the filthy ground, struggling to breathe through the musty fumes that coated his throat…he shouldn't have yelled and panicked…couldn't quite understand what was happening to him…
"Her name was Terra. She was a true Titan, and a true friend. We'll miss you…" Raven finished the brief eulogy with a hint of sympathy in her flat voice. The five of them stood there, staring at her body—now encased in rock—all of them unsure about what they should say. Finally, Starfire moved forward and laid a single rose at the base of their friend's "grave."
"I shall miss you…friend," She muttered. One by one, the rest of his team passed by, casting flowers at her feet, until Beast Boy…Robin would never be able to forget the look of such unbearable sadness as the changeling sank to his knees, tears flowing down his face.
"Terra…" He moaned, one word drawn out for an eternity in Slade's now ruined lair. Robin watched alongside the other Titans with his unwavering, serious expression plastered on his face, hiding the confusion and sorrow that lay inside. He wanted to comfort his friend…but his "duty" prevented him from moving forward. Weren't emotions a weakness, according to both Batman and Slade?
'I know what it's like to lose someone close to your heart, B.B… I know how much it hurts…'
He tilted his head down, toward the place where their greatest enemy had sunk beneath the lava, and into hell, he hope.
"Damn you, Slade, for doing this to all of them. Damn you…"
Maybe it was the oxygen cut off from his brain for too long, but Robin began to hear noises from where he lay, as something moved towards him…slowly advancing on his weakened form…He didn't care…He should have known he wouldn't be able to last…
Starfire, trapped in flame, screaming in agony…Cyborg being wheeled quickly down the clean, white halls of the hospital…Beast Boy crying in pain as the bones in his body broke, one by one…Raven bleeding in the street…all of their eyes fogging over as they passed on…
Someone dragged him upwards, forcing him farther and farther into the shadows…until he was laid back on the ground…it felt different…cooler, with strange fragments cutting into his arms and back…and then he heard the lid being shut from above.
Robin managed to cry out one last time, though his lungs were on fire from being deprived fresh air.
"NO! Don't do this…"
His pleas were lost in the hollowness of the stone coffin.
"This is your future, and learn it well," Slade's voice whispered in his ear, as Robin hammered on the interior of the lid, each punch growing fainter and fainter…his body…was getting so feeble…out of air…gaze flicking like a dying candle…
"Ensnared in shadow, begging to be free, and yet it will never let go…I will never let you go."
"Mom…Dad…I'll be with you soon…"
---------------------
The two of them would never see it coming. Both of them had their backs turned to his hiding place, and he watched them with orange eyes as they kept up a steady pattern, running forward a bit, pausing, before moving forward again. By the time the Titans noticed he was behind them, it'd be too late…they could fight all they want—in fact, he was hoping they would. Resistance made it so much more fun to murder people…They would die, tonight…He would make sure of it.
Robin-
Cold air seemed to slap him in the face, as Robin slowly opened his eyes, a hint of fear surging through him as he thought back to the coffin…yet here he was, lying beneath a cloudy blue sky, beside his parents' graves again…
"What the—!"
Robin shot upwards into a sitting position, though he immediately wished he hadn't; for some reason he had a splitting headache…
Maybe it was caused by lack of air.
He glanced this way and that, searching for Slade's ominous figure. But…he was all alone? What had happened? Robin, grabbing onto a statue for support, stood, still looking about him. There was no evidence that his fight with Slade had ever taken place…no smashed stone, no scuffled dirt…
"Did it ever even happen?" He murmured beneath his breath. Perhaps…perhaps it had all been a dream, or Slade had knocked him out with some sort of drug…too exhausted to consider the possibilities, Robin slowly made his way toward the front gates of the cemetery, head still throbbing; he ignored it. He had to go find Raven and Beast Boy before anything happened to them…he did notice, however, that the caretaker was missing…and there was a small, dark spot, staining the bark of a nearby tree…
To be Continued…
So…did it ever really happen? (Grins.) That's up to you to decide on. Please review, because I spent a lot of work writing this…not to mention I'll probably not be going into a graveyard for the next three years…Oh well. At least you all got a bonus: As you can obviously see, this one was an extra long chapter—My gift to you!
Over and Out:
Rebel-Aquarius