Flickering Shadows

By: Pakkrat

Chapter 8: What is in the Shadows?

Note: First, the correct answer to the villain is answered in this segment where he shows himself.Great job guessing everybody, he's an OC of mine just for the record who I take major pride in. Also his minions, Alpha and Omega, and Gaikotsu appear too. He does not play a major role in this story as in actually showing up a lot, but if you say you like him, I might add him to some action in the later chapters. Trust me, he's one bad son of a... (The Shadow, It voiced by Vin Diesel from "Pitch Black/Riddick, The Chronicles of Riddick/Riddick)

Raven sleeps soundly this time, here again she is on Slade's chest as they both fell on the couch asleep. Her one hand up to her face over the bread face she is smiling in contentment as Slade rests with one arm over her shoulders. The next thing is the shadows, at the corner of the room they ripple up like waters with a beast lurking underneath.

The rippling shadows let something break the surface. This claw stretches like a serpent, its thumb flexes from the two other fingers with a hiss, a hiss like a serpent. Winding the floor to the couch it hisses several times, stretching over the back the claw turns down on the sleeping girl, hissing once more, before she wakes and swiftly it disappears back into the shadow pool.

Raven looks with her eyes tired, rubbing the sleep away she pushes off of Slade who now starts his own waking she grins as his hair is fizzled out of place from the way he slept. "Good morning."

Slade rubs his head, shrugging "What's so good about it?" he grins to her, "Aside from waking with such a beautiful greeting to a new day?"

Raven was caught off guard; her cheeks flush with the television still on but muted now cracking. "Oh, sorry."

Slade looks at his large TV, "Oh well I can steal…" he looks up, "Er… acquire a new one."

Raven sighs, it wasn't going to be easy now was it? Raven walks a step or two, before something grabs her leg, looking down Raven is pulled down, Slade instinctively jumps up and sees what he figures was a giant snake pulling her into the wall. Slade jumps with staff ready, striking on its hide he has his staff break, 'What? Tough skin!' Slade grabs Raven now as she starts to pass, holding on tightly she strains to hold his hand. Slade watches the constriction on her leg, then the claw makes up her waist and reels up hissing on Slade, "What the…" he feels himself loose footing and soon both are dragged into this shadow puddle. Like a tunnel they two are dragged inside some distance before the claw scratches Slade's arm, he screams loosing Raven's hand. Slade crashes through the tunnel and is outside rolling on the ground. Smelling the air Slade catches something he already doesn't like the smell of decay.

Slade rolls to a stop pushing up to look and find black skies with the city left as rubble, similar to that time Trigon fried the world. Was this some kind of plot from Trigon? Slade makes a step forward and hears someone moving, 'Great!' he looks back to the two figures standing above him on a hill. "Who are you?"

The two men wear blue Asian robes, with what seem rose designs curving the golden front button smock design. With baggy purple pants, black slippers, and long braids of hair they have no distinguishing facial expressions… as they have no faces. Slade now takes a sort of step back, faceless men? What the hell is going on here? The one man is younger he figures, shinier hair and nicer skin, as the other man has gray hair with wrinkled skin. The younger man speaks in some telepathic form with a younger voice, "I, am the Alpha!" he jumps into the air spinning in place, "As I, am the Omega!" the elder man jumps and spins too. The two spin before coming down and landing with one leg straight and the other touching feet cocked to their partner. They spoke in unison, "We are the brothers of beginning and end," they push off their touching feet to stand with fists up in stance, "Reality and rule, are ours to bend!"

Slade looks at them with little emotion aside from disbelief, "do you… rhyme?"

The Elder, Omega speaks, "Do not tempt your awesome fate!" Alpha adds, "For if you do the punishment shall be great!"

"Oh, great as in profitable?" Slade smirks to the two "looking" at each other or maybe just turning their faces to each other, "Listen, I'd normally take to fighting whoever you are any other day." Slade turns to ignore the two weird creatures, "However, I have to find someone."

Alpha screams, "Insolent rogue, you doubt our power?" Omega nods, "Come, time to make this one cower!"

The two speed off, Slade ignores them but senses their coming in, his hairs point up as streaks move in on his head. Slade bends back, Alpha has just barely passed his face, Omega streaks behind Slade so Slade turns on his left and plow one elbow into one brother as he punches the other with his fist, striking the two speeding monsters as they tried to fly past. The two reel off the attacks grabbing their chests.

Omega looks up, kind of, "This, this is an outrage!" Alpha nods, "How did he see us engage?"

Slade growls lowly, it's obvious he couldn't find Raven with these idiots on his back the entire time. "Okay, you want to play?" he looks to the side, and seeing an exposed metal pipe Slade kicks it to cause it to twirl up and be grabbed under his arm with the other hand taunting the two, "Come on! I don't have all day!"

…Raven…

Raven wakes slowly to find herself in the form of a child? Yes, her smaller body soon jumps up seeing herself trapped in the girlish form she once had when Robin found her. Confused, Raven looks around and recognizes the room she was in. This was where the prophecy took place, the room where the hand once held her to be the gem, the portal to the end. Raven sees the hand is gone; the stairway sits in her spot for her. Raven looks down, a long way down she remembers, and it only leads to the fiery pits of Trigon, "Why am I here?"

Raven feels a shift, looking behind her Raven sees her mother, Arella? Tall and in a white hood her mother's hair shows slightly while her mother's eyes are hidden in the hood. Raven is mostly shocked and squeezes to her mother's leg, "Mother… what's going on? What happened?"

Arella raises her left hand, and points to the stairs. Raven looks confused, "I… I'm supposed to go there?"

Arella nods and Raven looks over to the stairs fearfully but agrees. Going several steps she feels fearful, "Will… will you go with me?" Raven looks over, "I'm scared…"

Arella nods, Raven slowly goes down the stairway as Arella looks up with her eyes of purple mists swirling, a figure large and demonic stomps to behind Arella as she smiles a wicked fangy grin, "Do not fear my lord," speaks the figure, "I will keep an eye out for this "Wilson" fool till you show the girl her destiny."

Arella turns with her teeth showing three rows of the fangs inside her mouth

The demon figure steps to the light showing his skeleton form of a man dragon, his beady green eyes with pride he strikes his fist on his chest in salute, "Never fear master, I will not disappoint you, for I am Gaikotsu. The grand general of the Kagejin!"

…Jump City Jailhouse…

Pakkurath floats towards the fence, here he turns to Eer, Ignigknot, Gizmo, and Mammoth. Jinx and Blackfire stayed behind because of the injuries. Mammoth looks at the jail while night was up, "Okay, so now what?"

Ignigknot looks at the fence, "Little troll boy, do you have wire cutters?"

Gizmo blinks before snarling, "Watch it dung-liner! Yeah I have some." He hands over some wire cutters. Ignigknot holds up the clippers then hands them to Eer, "Eer, the fence may be electric. You cut the fence."

Eer snaps, "What? You want me to cut an electric fence! No way!"

Ignigknot shrugs, "I was most likely wrong Eer, the fence could not be electric."

Eer looks at the 'Danger: Electric Fence' sign, "Oh yeah, that sign is wrong."

Ignigknot is silent before pointing, "Eer! There's a naked woman on the other side of the fence!"

Sparks now start flying over the area, Eer stumbles back charred and panting suite from his mouth, "…Where?"

"Why right over there! She's blonde, meaning easy and naive!"

"AH!" Eer charges the fence again, sparks fire more this time as Ignigknot screams "You must cut faster Eer! Or else she will leave!"

Pakkurath looks to his side, "Oh, hey! There's a gate over here!" Ignigknot looks over, "Oh, so there is! It's okay Eer you can stop cutting."

Eer falls on his back, his skin black he asks, "Is…she…still…there?"

"No Eer, she left." Eer jumps up screaming "Son of a…"

…Titans Tower…

Robin looks at his clock seeing the time he moans, so late. Why couldn't he get any sleep? Robin remembers how worried he got with Raven being gone, and then the fact she saves him and hugs him as she was back. His mind flutters about with all these things until he hears a knock at the door. Robin gets up in his judo pants, no shirt as he was sleeping. Robin walks over and opens the door seeing a sleep-depraved Starfire, "Star?"

Starfire floats in saying "My sleeping algorithms seem unsatisfied, my mind is often coming to a question of friend Raven and where she has been for so long."

Robin nods, "Yeah, she's been gone for some time but when we needed her she pops right up. It was weird."

Starfire looks back and agrees, "Do you believe it may be a scheme on her kidnapper? Or, perhaps related to the actions of this Pakkrat fiend?"

Robin shakes his head more confused, "We have Pakkrat, I think. He's in the lab; Cyborg was going to work on accessing his memory banks and stuff."

Starfire nods, her feet on the ground she looks to her side biting her lip, "Friend Robin." Robin looks at her worried, "Yeah Star?" Starfire looks up and blushes before leaving, "Forgive me!" she closes the door on a now more confused Robin. "… Oh-kay…"

…The Lab…

Cyborg tries a spark of his diodes on the machine head, nothing. "Wow, this is intricate stuff. I never seen robotics this advanced." He tries another shock, nothing again, "These connectors… what are they made out of?" he fires, and this time the eyes turn on. "…!" Cyborg jumps back as the head sprouts four spider like legs at the neck, and then jumps off the table scampering to the vents. "Whoa! Ti-." Cyborg is silenced as the head turns a full 180 degrees firing six eye beams of red. Cyborg is tossed up the wall falling unconscious. Pakka looks at Cyborg, "… I have to fix this mistake." Pakka walks over and sits down waiting for Cyborg to wake up, "I didn't know that Pakku was working with Trigon… and chances are he's in this too."

…Slade…

Slade jumps up, Omega has missed with a strong right and pays with Slade striking the side of his gray head with a swing down of his pipe. Slade lands to now see Alpha coming fast on the backside so he swings the pipe under his arm allowing Alpha to plow his speeded frame onto the butt of the pipe showing it curve in on Alpha's stomach before he falls back off grabbing his belly. Slade looks at Omega while he gets up, nothing to waste Slade swings the staff over the ground swiping Omega's legs and dropping him, then stomping down Slade twists his heel turning to a stammering up Alpha. Slade runs up and before Alpha reacts he plows his left fist deep in the still stinging wound, then a strong right to the jaw…er, if he has a jaw, before finally kneeing the ribs and dropping the still reeling Alpha. Slade looks over the two, moaning and groaning Slade sighs as he runs off. Time was wasted on those two idiots, and he has to move fast. Raven needs him, and he was getting worried.

Slade knew where to go. The city looks like hell on earth. The only thing he can figure is Raven is somehow being stalked by her bastard of a father Trigon. Slade jumps over a dumpster in the middle of the streets coming to the spot, here is the spot where Raven and Trigon began this mess once before. The stairs leading to hell Slade figures a quick… Shit! Slade jumps up as the large bone object passes over him only to plummet with tremendous force. Slade rolls and turns, seeing a giant man thing of bone he asks, "What is with you guys?"

…Raven…

Raven was worried why at the end of the stairs instead of the many passages of fire she only finds that burnt down church. She walks over and looks into the doors still broken and burnt. Raven remembers that day Robin had came here and saved her, and when she told him how it all was going to end. "What's this all mean mother?" Raven looks back, "What was I…" Raven is stunned, her mother is no longer with her, in her place was something… far worse with a large right arm with three claws lying at its side.

…The Jail…

Eer glares at Ignigknot, "No…"

Ignigknot sighs, "Eer, I am telling you that is the girl's dog." Eer looks at the large dog with a bone it was eating, "Nuh-uh. I ain't falling for this one."

Ignigknot lays a hand on Eer's shoulder, "Eer, allow me to give you some advice…" Eer flies out into the hall face first. Hopping up he asks, "What the hell advice was…" he feels a breath on his back, "Oh…" Eer looks back and screams before running down the halls arms up. The dog chases as Gizmo laughs with Mammoth slapping his knee. Pakkurath floats past the three saying, "We're almost there. Soon, everything will be as I planned." He chuckles, "Trigon better keep his word this time."

…Titans Tower…

Robin walks into the lab knowing he wasn't going to sleep without an update. He finds Cyborg unconscious and Pakkarath looking at him, "What the?"

Pakk looks over, "Robin! Listen to me!" Pakka's eyes pop as he strafes the stomping foot, "Whoa! Wait a second!" Pakka fires his eyes knocking Robin back into the wall, "Good… Robin?" Robin is unconscious, "… at this rate there won't be any titans to warn!"

…Slade…

Slade jumps up, dodging a large bone fist he tosses his pipe into the chest of the beast. Gaikotsu screams as the pipe breaks a rib, "Hey! You know how hard it is to replace those?" Gaikotsu blinks, "Actually, they're easy to replace. It's the other bones I can't eat so easily."

Slade glares with a snarl, "Where is Raven?"

"Raven?" Gaikotsu smirks, "So you do like her? Listen Slade! The girl is pretty screwed up as is, why are you wasting your time with spoiled goods?"

Slade seems disgusted, "Spoiled goods? You don't have much respect for women."

"Respect? Women have only two functions in my books. Reproduction and… well, okay only one thing. Still, the two forms are different."

Slade rolls his eye before screaming "Great, a sexist demon. Trigon must be loosing good minions."

Gaikotsu laughs, "Trigon? I don't work for him! I work for the master of darkness, lord of infinite shadow! I am the proud general of the Kagejin empire! I am the loyal servant of… Wait, why am I telling you this?"

…Raven…

Raven knew that shape, that form, that arm! Standing with arms crossed, feet planted firmly now at the doorway was the legendary monster of shadow. "It's not possible! You're just a… a…"

"A legend?" It chuckles, "Like the legend of a very special little girl?"It walks with loud strides on the creaking floor, "The legend of a girl who's blood is so tainted, so evil, she was named…"

Raven grabs her ears, "No! I'm not that! I'm not that, I'm Raven!"

A cape flutters from behind Raven's small form; she looks up as It stands behind her and his cape moves like water all around her, "Your name is… Bloody…"

Raven shakes her head no, screaming, "Raven! Raven! Raven! RAVEN!"

"Bloody… Bloody… Bloody… Bloody…" Raven was going to scream but It drops to her level screaming, "Bloody ANGEL!"

Raven screams as her body burns, his cape swirls over her and wraps away leaving the teenage Raven, her clothes torn except over her chest and lower parts the bloody red marks appear again, and swirl to her back where the marks spread up to the bones of wings. Raven falls on her hands and knees, crying with lavished tears Raven's eyes burn red in flames, "I'm not this! I'm not this!"

It laughs, grabbing her chin with his claw she whimpers as he says, "Yes… you truly are."

…The Jail…

The last defense to the target, Ignigknot hears panting, wheezing, Eer comes over screaming, "What the hell were you thinking?"

"That as the hound followed you, we were safe." Eer snaps, "I hate you so much!"

Ignigknot points, "There is a blonde haired woman at the end of this hallway." Eer laughs, "Yeah, right!" he looks and sees someone sitting at a small desk with a book and light, with blonde hair long to the back, "Whoa! A chick!" Eer runs over screaming, "Get on your knees and take it woman!"

The figure looks up, turning the light higher a large muscular man stands up with a sadistic look on his face with a large knife on his side, "… What was that?"

Eer looks at the I.D. on his large chest, "Brock Sampson…" Eer runs down the halls screaming like with the dog but much faster. Brock screams out in rage grabbing for his knife. Pakkurath chuckles, "Gee, who would have thought he took a night job to pay for a new car at the Venture Brothers plaza."

…Titans Tower…

Beast Boy walks into the lab with a glass of milk, "Hey Cybor…" he sees the unconscious Robin, Cyborg, and Starfire, "… Cool! Slumber party!" he sees Pakkarath, "Hey aren't you dead?"

Pakka sighs, "No… hey, you didn't attack me?"

Beast Boy shrugs, "Naw, I'm trying to have a mid-night snack." He offers the glass, "Soy-milk?" the glass is blown up by red eyes, "Dude! You could have just said no!"

…Slade…

Slade screams with a strong swing of his staff, the large brute holds up his arm to block that and counter in a forward jab. The jab catches Slade's nose pushing him back. Slade shakes his head hearing stomping… then the scream, "Raven!" he looks up and kicks his leg in a certain spot stopping Gaikotsu in his tracks before falling and grabbing between his legs, "Oh… not the boys…"

…Raven…

Raven is on her side lying on the floor. Her eyes are blank stares, her mind seems dead to the world. Sitting on the cross at the center of the church is It lounging out over the one side of the cross like a chair. "This is just disappointing. I was hoping you'd give a little more vigor in this sweetheart."

Raven looks up slightly but not really taking in the image. It leaps off the cross to land both feet at her face, skull like buckles at the toe of his boot It lifts her face up with them, "…this is boring as heaven. You know I wanted to see something more interesting."

"Then look over here!" Slade scrambles into the church to leap in a kick, It raises his claw grabbing the foot and lifting Slade in the air by one foot, "Meh, I have seen better."

It launches Slade back over to the doorway, stepping over Raven who looks more unattached as the cape floats over her. Slade sits up, his fists clenched at his sides, "What did you do to her?"
It looks over to her, "Only showed her who she really is." It looks on Slade, "Showed her she was always a killer."

Slade screams up again, tossing punches It is able to sway back from them before swirling around Slade to the back, Slade looks wide eyed as the claw clasps his face, stretching over to the opposite wall Slade is suspended into a rafter, the force bending the rotten beam, "Who are you?" Slade manages to free from his gripped face.

"Who?" It clenches tighter to the face of Slade, "What real importance comes in a name? I am beyond titles, given causes; I am merely the entity you should bow down to! I am evil, I am power, and I am…"

"About to get clubbed by a cross." Muses Slade, It drops Slade and swings its large claw arm into the cross before it hits him, the cross splinters and with the falling debris both Raven and It stare off, her eyes showing color, life, and unmistakable rage. "So." The claw returns to Its side, "You finally decided to join us?"

Raven glares, her face first angry but slowly makes to a smirk, "Akaige."

It bows Its head, "That's what most call me, yes." Raven looks at the ground, "Memories from Azar tell me… you're a demonic lord from a realm of shadow. You are also Tran dimensional, you can go between boundaries into multiple realities. A matter of fact, you spend a lot of your time fighting heroes from alternate realities. Especially the Teen Titans."

Akaige, acting as if flattered bats his claw at her, "Aw, stop, you're making me blush."

"They also say you're not able to take dimensions claimed by other demons, like this one because of Trigon." Raven sees the claw has tightened to a fist, "Tell me, has the great lord of shadow, Akaige, become a simple errand boy for my father?"

Akaige looks coldly on Raven though she could not see thorough his hood, "No actually I'm here to help you."

…The Jail…

Pakkurath stands at the cell, Gizmo fires his claws on the cell again to try and open it, Mammoth holds his hands as they still ache from their earlier attempts. "This is getting us no where!" Pakkurath screams as he flings up his palm, the room creaks with the roof dropping dust, the bars and cell start to cave in at the center before finally ripping from the foundation. The two H.I.V.E. students look wide-eyed at the bars falling lamely to the ground. Pakkurath looks back, two guards must have overheard as they come to investigate. "Hold it right there!"

Pakkurath glares his brows, "You're burning up my time!" he grins as he raises his other hand and fires an orb of flame, the guards scream as they now ran for it and the ball turns the corner after them. Pakku looks at the occupant, his hair in three tuffs, one up the center, two at the sides, all gray hairs. The man now exiting to the H.I.V.E. kids dropping and bowing was with metal and flesh, "Welcome back Brother… Blood."

Blood smirks, his glare of one human one machine eye he asks, "Has all gone according to plan?"

Pakkurath nods, "Of course, all we need now is the blood of the immortal. Then you will be given that little power we talked about before."

Blood grins widely, "I can't wait. This time, the church will rise, and none of those titans can take my headquarters, the Church Of Blood!"

Eer returns, heaving and gasping Ignigknot looks over, "Oh, good. We can teleport home now."

Eer looks up, "…teleport?"

"Yes, Pakku can teleport us anywhere he wishes. Why, come to think of it we could have teleported right to here and never had any real trouble. Still, I figured you needed the exercise."

Eer looks blankly before screaming, "SON OF A…" the whole group is swirled in black mists disappearing.

…Raven, Slade, and Akaige…

"Oh, don't get me wrong. This really is not on your behalf." Slade sits with a cut over his eye… a new one; Raven sits with her eyes angrier now as the wings have disappeared. "Telling you this prophecy, and showing you that you are in danger doesn't mean I want you to live. Just that I hate my son Pakkurath, and his plan does not profit me the least."

Raven glares to Slade, he was just as speechless, "Okay, so you're telling me the Church Of Blood is coming, and I'm their main target?"

"Exactly." Akaige leans onto a stone formation, "This prophecy was never really planned out as it should have been, Trigon never really expected to loose so when Blood was incarcerated and his arms destroyed Trigon didn't care. Now that he is gone, he's looking into ways of bringing himself back. One way is through the Church Of Blood, through Bloody Angel."

Slade sighs, "Blood, I never did like that guy. He acted too damn much like a holy man or something."

Raven looks up, thinking, "So Blood is going to turn me into Bloody Angel? How?"

Akaige shrugs, "I remember mentioning of the 'Blood Of The Immortal' it seems only that blood can open a doorway to begin the ritual, as well as close it to stop the ritual." Akaige points up his claw, "Aside from that you're on your own." Akaige points to a portal, Raven stands up and glares to Akaige, "Is it true you once killed Superman?"

Slade blinks, "Ah, what a dimension that was." Akaige breathes deep the scent of that night, "I remember the entire Justice League was there, all of it! The cadets, recruits, all of it. The Teen Titans called them to help stop me, that didn't work. I was outnumbered, still gaining my strength. Physically I could not take all of them, but morally I had them. Superman tried to get me, I swung that punk right around." Akaige clenches his claw as Raven and Slade watch imagining the events, "I made it quick, lunging my claws right into that stupid 'S' on his chest I clenched, dug, and wriggled them deep saying 'Though you call yourself a 'Super' man, you have the one mistakable flaw of all. Like all men, you are mortal, where as I… am not.'" Akaige seems to revel in this, shaking his head moments later he notices their stares, "What can I say? I love my work."

Slade looks to the portal, "Gee, look at the time!" he hurries Raven along, "Let's get the hell out of here."

Raven swings back, "Akaige!" Akaige looks up, "If you ever try to hurt my friends! You'll have me to deal with!"

"I've killed you before too Raven." She seems shied from that, "You are my favorite subject Raven, all the realities I go to you try to deny your evil heart. You say you are good, noble, but in the end deep down… as you bleed at my feet I see that glimmer before you die." Akaige stands tall and walks at Raven holding his claw to her chin, "I see the glimmer of how you know, if you only were able to capture your evil, you may have lived."

Slade grabs Raven and drags her through the portal, Akaige snickers as they are gone "I love when they say that. Maybe some day we will meet girl, but for now go take care of that rotten brat of mine." Akaige clenches his fist, "Then we'll see where that smart mouth leads him!"

Note: Akaige is my OC from several stories… can you guess why? You like him? Read Too Much Red he's the main villain there. All my work has him playing either a minor or major role, normally popping up half way or near the end is his style. Except my early stuff before I made him originally. That Superman scene is actually in one story I have in the works called "The Age Of Akaige" it's where the DC universe (One of the alternate ones) has been claimed by Akaige and he's on the warpath, opening the world of the Kagejin he's pretty much destroying everything. It's weird, but cool. Well thanks for guessing, Wrathchild and DF you win! Here's your reward (helmet full of cheese) … what? Oh, I'll make some characters called "Wrath and Dream" too! Pretend their you, if you want tell me what you would like these characters to do like a power and basic look. Until next update, good luck! A little longer till an end, lots of fun! Warning: No Eer was not harmed during the writing of this fanfic… too much. (See Eer with a baseball bat)Um, gotta go!