Flickering Shadows

By: Pakkrat

Chapter 13: Hell is but one step from here!

Note: Well those who read till this chapter YEAH and thank you for any reviews. With this chapter I do declare, an ending! Have fun all you lovely readers and please review the last chapter with your final impressions of the story. As for Psychic Werewolf Assassin, nice story you have going there. This chapter is kind of long but good! I hope you all enjoy, and read my fic Brittle Glass which is more a romantic story but yes it will have a deal of action and humor!

The three figures stood kind of still at first. Akaige was with his claw leisurely at his side, Pakku his left arm clenched in a fist as his right shoulder slightly bleeds, and Slade was with his sword held in two hands at his side with a stance. Neither seemed to make the first move. It was in a flash, all three had then made a dash at their enemy. Pakku and Slade went at Akaige, and the fight had begun.

Slade swings up with his sword, Akaige turns on his side to let it pass and then kicking up his left leg he bounces Pakku away. Slade takes and swing down but the sword is grasped at his hands as Akaige raised his human arm to grapple. With the sword up overhead Slade strains to bring it down with both arms, Akaige has only one hand up holding the blade as the claw cups Slade's chin so they are eye to eye, "I can feel that power surging in your blood." Akaige swashes his claw over the brow of Slade slowly letting a line of red spill out and Slade cringes under the tearing skin, "Let me see that power be freed in more ways than one!"

Slade growls, "Deal," and then kicks up his leg to push off the attacker, "I'll show you everything I've got!"

Slade dashes again and makes flurries of the blade, vertical, horizontal, diagonal slashes spark with the clashing claw of Akaige. White sparks make around the sword, black sparks make from the claws of Akaige. The two forces are mixing in each tap of the other power. Akaige leers his eyes as he swings his own strike bouncing the blade up, Slade is wide-eyed as his sword is over his head and he is toppling on his heels. Akaige's teeth glare a small whimsy before the claw widens open. Akaige swings the claw over the exposed chest of Slade and Slade falls on his right leg covering the now bleeding wounds over his abdomen. Slade looks up with his eye wincing as Akaige stood tall with his claw flexing at the strike.

Slade roars up and swings again, this time he makes a dash forward and Akaige barely passes the blade. Slade stops half through his stab and swings the sword under his arm, "DIE!" Slade plunges on his back and the blade tears through Akaige as Slade fell onto the shadow frame. Akaige's eyes flux a moment before the claw pushes Slade off himself.

Slade topples over on his side but quickly gets up. Looking back Slade sees the hole in Akaige's stomach and smiles. Akaige looks on the wound and it seems to fill in with purple mist that soon solidifies to black muscle. Slade looks stunned as Akaige grins again, "You know I am an immortal, not your everyday villain. The demonic broods know my power is great so you should learn to fear me."

Slade shook his head no and gives a cocky grin, "Not a chance." He flicks his blade to get rid of the extra blood. "I won't fear you."

Akaige smiles his wide grin, "Good, I like the fearless ones." Akaige lunges forward and they continued their flurry strikes like before. This time Akaige was on the offense and Slade made the defense.

Pakku was levitating at the side with his left hand raising up and shaking. "Come on… work…"

Akaige turns at his side; his ears flick several times, "Sneaky little…" Akaige pushes his palm out and flings Slade back a little ways. Akaige now looks back to the many large masses of stone floating around Pakku. "You really have been improving on your magic!"

Pakku screams, "Wilson! Get back!" Pakku raises his hand up with great strain, "This is going to be a dozy!"

Slade nods and makes a quick retreat. Pakku clenches his fist and the many rocks make into spiked orbs that then catch fire as they spun. "Here father, see what my years have taught me!"

The spike fires flail on Akaige and circle around him with some distance. Pakku is sweating profusely as the orbs now begin to come in at intervals. The orbs smash to Akaige who stood still and let them strike. The fires grew larger and larger in each strike on the fiend. Pakku heaves heavy breathes as he swings his open palm and a orb of blue light grows inches out from it, "One… more…" the orb swirls like it is out of control with ribbons of white wrapping out and around randomly, then it calms into a swirling perfect ball of blue and white that now fires forward like a cannon.

Pakku grinned his tusks until the ball stops short a couple steps away from Akaige. The force of the ball stopping makes gale winds swirl around dissipating the fires around Akaige, then the view of Akaige with his claw perpendicular or pointed at the orb shows he was holding it with his claw's force. A smirk, Akaige clenches his claw and three points on the orb start to concave. Pakku looks startled as the orb pops and a percussion of force whirls back on his floating form to lash all over his body. Pakku screams a maddening roar as his outfit begins to tare and rip all around him; the force leaves many shallow cuts and marks over his frame. Pakku floats there a moment with his body flexed in pain before he falls on his face unconscious, and hard.

Akaige turns back around flipping his cape behind his back; he took that time in fire to latch it back on. "He still has so much to learn. If he stood at my side he would have learned many skills of the Magi." Akaige downcasts his eyes to the side, "That and his woman would never have had to die like that such a failure."

Slade shakes a little of the subsiding fear off, not the time Wilson. He has the sword held tightly; he knew this was going to get only worse. Akaige looks over to the side, "Where were we… oh, that's right." Akaige lunges to Slade's side in speed; Slade barely has turned to Akaige when a claw latches his throat "We were fighting!"

Akaige's arm stretches off to the wall and slams Slade up against the stones making the formations snap and crackle. Slade takes his sword and plunges it deep into the claw making Akaige drop his hold and return the appendage. Slade falls to his feet and pulls back the sword. Akaige glares and makes a dash to Slade. Slade's sword glows brightly in white flame, a smirk Slade swings the sword and a blade of fire leaves off his sword across the horizon straight towards Akaige. Akaige lurches to a halt right as the blade was close to him, unable to stop it the flaming blade strikes over Akaige's left shoulder and down across to the right hip. Akaige screams as he is flung back across the stone ground digging his heels. The fire blade dissipates and Akaige sinks in on his feet a little letting his arms hang. Slade lets a grin grow on his face before the arms begin to bob up and down. Akaige swings his head back laughing as the mark swelters across the muscular chest. "Excellent! Show me more Wilson, much more!"

Akaige pulls his claw back and it irradiates in red sparks, swinging the claw up two crescent red strikes barrel off the claws force and dig up the dirt as they move on Slade. Slade points the sword out like a shield allowing the red energy to stop surging. Slade stood still a little and shakes his head of the dizziness then he looks up seeing a fist at his face. The fist hits, Slade is plowed into the stone and more fists strike in unison to plow him harder to the stone. Akaige smiles cruelly as he pulls back his fists farther and farther with each strike. Slade's back glows, the coat rips up in white flame and two wings coil around Slade to make a shield. The shield pushes back the fists burning them in white fire. Akaige screams up to the sky as the wings spread apart and toss him away some distance. Slade looks weary as the flame wings slowly fall at his side, his arms seem tired and his body haggard.

Akaige looks at his fists in a smile of pleasure. The smoke and blisters show on his form yet he was only pleased. "You know what you get Wilson," Akaige lowers his fists and struts with small steps towards the fighter, "When you take away a man's soul?" Slade looks confused, his body gives and his hands push him off the ground barely as he shakes tiredly. His body quakes as Akaige makes movement over the rocky terrain, "They say a demon. However I know much better. You take away the soul; you take away to boundaries of weakness. The thing you find is man's truest nature, the nature of a beast." Akaige grins his teeth steps near Wilson and flares his eyes wide, "Exactly what you find now is the nature of the beast. I see it again and again… I make it, again and again."

Slade looks up tiredly, but curiously, "Trigon is a strong royalty, yes. However he is not so intelligent to play the soul like myself. He can be a crude customer and at times needs help to finish some matters. He hired me to approve of his plans to force his daughter and you to become lovers." Akaige chuckles deeply as Wilson feels his head heating up, his eye sees his son Jericho as a child and The Jackal, and the shadows all around them, "Break a man, he becomes a beast. Some men make much better beasts than others." The next is Addie shooting his eye, the hospital, the divorce papers, "To break some men, the perfect ones to become such fitting prey, you must eliminate those little things that keep them from becoming their fullest." The contract he denied, the dealings of Grant with The H.I.V.E., the death of Grant to the Titans, "A man can have oh so much going for him. However, until you take it all away from him he never realizes what it truly means. He never finds that greater power in the lost." Slade's head shoots up, he sees Raven coming to him from the tower, the clawed figure smiling as she leaves, "We can only do so much I know, but I like to think…" Akaige kneels down and grabs Slade's jaw, "I do very well for myself in matters of torture even for other demons."

Slade glares his hate on Akaige, "You… they were my family! How could you?"

"Easy." Akaige brushes some hair from Slade's face. "I knew how it would react, how it would make you stronger. The killing of your family, friends, and others has made you truly a strong beast. One very worthy of my skills and approvals." Akaige turns back to see Raven who looks as much in hate as Slade, "That pain and power goes to Raven too, making her just as worthy. I am honestly frightened of her power and the extent she has over my own." Akaige clenches his claw tightly, "However, it also excites me! The challenge, with my immortality I have been cursed with power, great power! I have so very few that can honestly match my skill! When I find them, I hold them as my greatest goals! I will do all I can to make such prey, such Perfect Prey stronger and stronger, till I or they are destroyed."

Slade snorts and screams "Don't worry! I'll kill you!" Slade takes the sword and tries to stand up with it like a crutch, "Don't be absurd." Akaige closes his eyes and tilts his head down, "I was cursed with immortality. I was an assassin and a warrior, designed to kill for my lord. That blood in me to find challengers beckons me to find someone, someday that can finish my wandering. Sadly with all your powers you still will not be able to do so."

Slade grabs the sword, the wings flare up and he snaps, "Watch me!" his rage grows the fires bright and Slade flies with the sword to cut deeply into the exposed side of Akaige. Akaige screams and it makes the ceiling buckle a little. Slade comes to a halt with the fires dying, turning he sees a large divide in the side of Akaige. He looses his faith as the wound makes with purple mist that covers in black muscle; the new muscle leaves a scar like patch where his flesh had disappeared. Akaige chuckles as he rubs the wound.

"Your attacks won't be able to kill me. Though I can not out power you I will live again. Outside my shadow realm my powers are limited, and somewhat a fraction of my truest power. This is perhaps a portion of my true power but it is enough to kill a mortal like you!" Akaige bent on his knees and then launches forward, Slade watches as Akaige's claws point straight out and he is now twirling like a football as it is passed, the black cape and himself seem to speed to an unholy force that strikes the claws like a drill into Slade's chest. Slade screams to the sky as the claws ripped his chest and as this ends, Akaige bends off his spin to have his face to Slade's and grinning he plows both bent legs straight into the shoulders of Slade smashing Slade back and into the wall.

Akaige lands in a sprawl, he huffs deeply as Slade was screaming and tossing on the ground. Standing up Akaige lets his claw hang on his side; the dripping sound of blood makes the ears twitch a little. Slade stops his tossing as he grabs onto his torn chest with both arms, tears speeding down his cheeks. Raven screams for Slade but he is lost in the pain. Akaige walks over with the claw trailing the crimson liquid as he strides. A smile creeps his face as he comes over and bares a foot onto Slade's head, pushing the face into the dirt Akaige swings up his claw high and prepares a last strike.

The claw digs deep, but the fingers had been spread so they only embedded around Slade's head, "Question… were you afraid? Of course, but also excited in some respects! It is something of a conundrum but I look for that too. A mix of fear and excitement, a pleasure all my own in a very strong adversary!"

Slade has never been more freaked out before, this thing was calculating, cruel, sadistic, and somewhat crazed… it was like him, only much better at it!

Then the young voices, "Titans GO!" came, Slade looks back from the corner of his eye and a green triceratops rams Akaige breaking him off Slade. Akaige lands on his side and his form shifts to a shadow, stretching up it takes a form of Akaige again and he only looks widely at the swinging staff. Dodging it Akaige is meted by another attack, the sonic cannon. Akaige is bumped and looses attention, Robin tosses his explosives and they cover his sight. Akaige flings his claws, "Damn! I got careless!" now Starfire and Blackfire, spiraling around each other strike with blazing fists and this plows Akaige as they dive up from their hit. Akaige stumbles many steps from the dual flying double punches.

Attack pattern Alpha, he hears this and barely dodges the pink hexes of Jinx. Now the little genius Gizmo stomps in and with his legs like a helicopter he swipes across the face of Akaige backing him more. Mammoth runs behind Akaige, he grabs the demon by the shoulders and tosses him over his head with a crunching grip, then slams the demon back into the ground making an impression of the dirt. Akaige stood and was greeted with the dirt up heaving; Terra channels all the ground around Akaige up as a hunk and flings it and him into a wall. The dirt crumbles, Akaige stood impressioned in the dirt with a chunk stuck in his teeth, he spits it out with a more upset look than anything else. "Listen you…" he is interrupted as Meatwad rolls towards him, Frylock fires his eyes and Meatwad is now spinning like a super fast meat-cannon-ball! Akaige is not only surprised, it hits him so hard and bounces off plowing a startled Akaige through the wall deep into a blackened crater.

Meatwad rolls, zigzagging back over to Frylock, "Did it… work?"

Frylock smiles, "It sure did Meatwad!"

Beast Boy screams, "Oh yeah! Did you see how that guy went down?"

A roar and the entire cave shook, the heroes watch as the hole has a claw scramble out and grip to pull Akaige out. Akaige looks pissed, his fangs glare with his eyes glowing deeper than before. After several of these angry moments Akaige then slowly makes to a laughing hysteria up to the ceiling. "I always said never underestimate your enemies, it goes to show I was right. I never figured you two," Akaige points to Meatwad and Frylock, "Would ever even show worth my time. Strength is not the only part of a battle, it is the resolve one has to survive, and protect the faith and beliefs we hold. Impressive… most impressive."

Akaige looks to the deep cave, he screams, "Serpentine! Bring me my sword!"

The strange hole now makes a swirling portal. The heroes watch as ten red eyes blink in the distance of the portal as a shadow slithering towards the exit. The eyes exit, all except Akaige gasp as a large black serpent bends up and out its head and front body from the hole. Wrapped around its body were leather black wings that expand far out from the cave walls. Akaige starts scratching the stomach of the beast, it hisses pleasingly to the area with its long twisted fangs bending out the venom fangs far down. The forked tongue now comes out, in it is an object covered in blackened mist that the tongue drops to the ground. Akaige stops scratching the beast to now latch his claw onto the smoking object. The smoke dissipates, and a strange sword is now apparent.

This sword was latched in the ground before a quick twist. The blade is long, it is broad, and it is more like a large paddle with its large spread of the blade. The tip of the blade is fanned out into two forking tips, like a serpents tongue. It fits with the hand guard, an open serpent's mouth with the fangs curving back to the thumb as a bracer. The grip is the serpent's body wrapped in coils to allow fingers to latch on. The blade, guard, and hilt are all an obsidian color with some strange grayer coloration. Akaige flings the blade onto his one shoulder, it was more like a club but his force wields it effortlessly. Serpentine the serpent Akaige called is now ushered away; it backs into the hole hissing one time before disappearing.

Akaige chuckles as he sees the confused looks, "In one reality I destroyed, I learned a difficult sword style. This style, allows using great gales of wind with the blade to be projected like… oh… you'll see the sword works pretty damn well!"

Akaige runs with the blade swinging it down vertically with the edged side down. Robin was the target and he blocks the blade with his staff. The blade and staff hold off, Akaige grabs Robin by the collar with his human hand then swings him out of the way. Mammoth comes in to strike but Akaige rolls the blade in his palm, and then swings the broad side across towards Mammoth. The wall seems to bend in on a trail, a gap where Mammoth stood charging. Mammoth stands his eyes wide before the force struck him and flung him onto the wall, his shirt torn and he slams over the gap in the mark on the wall.

Robin is wide eyed, "Titans!" he hears something, he looks seeing a deep gash ripping on the ground towards him. Robin jumps and the wind that breaks up the ground hits his legs, Robin screams as he is torn to the distance and his front is dragged with his feet over the ground. Akaige is swinging the sword's flat side across the terrain ripping up more of the cave walls, and striking these gales across the heroes. Blackfire flies behind Akaige with her bolts charged, she swings and punches. Akaige turns and uses the flat blade's face like a shield, pushing off with his human hand Blackfire is flung back a little before he swings the blade gusting her into the ceiling. Gizmo tries his luck but as he came close Akaige twirls the blade behind his back and allows the edges to cut the legs apart, then he swings it back batting Gizmo with the sword and away. Slade stood on his knees, his eyes seem so tired, "Raven…" she hears him even from their distances, "I need more power."

Akaige looks at the many heroes littering the room. He smirks; he was pleased he made such quick work of them all. Hearing some shifting Akaige looks to Slade, the eye contact, "What are those two up to?"

Raven looks worriedly, "Slade I don't know why you think I can do that."

"Oh come on!" Slade looks aggressively, "Akaige said it himself, a bond between us gives me my extra power! If that's the case all this power is actually your power." He grins, "By the way I have to admit you're fairly strong Raven."

Raven blushes, "Okay, but you might be hurt if I give you so much power."

"No worries Raven I'm sure this special blood of mine has more than enough to keep me protected." He gives her a small grin, Raven sighs and just shrugs, "You're too stubborn to die anyway."

Akaige glares to these two before he feels a pain in his chest, "No!" he falls on his knees and watches as a hole burns into his stomach, the hole burns with red cinders and ash falls to the ground. This hole sends crackling red marks across Akaige's form, he looks to see Pakku has plunged himself onto a stone formation. Pakku smirks over, "If I can't win I'll at least make sure you loose!"

Akaige smirks, "My son, you make me so proud." Pakku gives a distasteful look as his form bursts into blackened mist. Slade sees the change, he screams "Raven! Now or never!"

Akaige looks over realizing what is happening. Raven closes her eyes and tries her best to channel the power inside her to Slade. Slade's coat burns with those wings again, but soon his whole form is in flame. Slade screams loudly as the white flames form to a winged bird, its head having long plumes that waved in its call. The bird has one blue eye with a scared opposite eye. Akaige leers his eyes to the bird, "A flame that burns even in absolute shadow… un-killable, unbreakable, are the beasts that is a flickering shadow's worst nightmare, a Phoenix."

This phoenix screams another call and flaps its large wings plowing Akaige through the stone wall and into a chamber hidden behind it. This chamber was with many lava pools and had many small land bridges twisting around on the surface. Raven looks up to the sky, the channeling of her powers makes her fall on her side. Her cape wraps her form, and soon it illuminates.

Akaige is plunged into a lava pit. The phoenix circles with its eye looking over the surface of lava. The phoenix sees no motion; it lands with a displacement of the dirt on one dirt formation that now bobs with its weight. The phoenix looks around cautiously, it hears a noise and turns quickly, a long formation has ripples moving from around it, the Phoenix glares and moves onto the area around itself. The phoenix does not see that formation of blackness sink slowly back down.

"Birds and serpents…" Slade, the phoenix startles to the ceiling, raising its head it tries to catch the voice. "They are natural enemies Wilson. Perhaps that is why I have such an interest in you, and Raven. The story goes a male falcon was once hunting for his family. However, a vicious serpent came to his nest and even if his mate fought she suffered the price of its venom, but not before having a large claw mark over its left eye. After the venom took the mother, the serpent devours the eggs and leaves." Slade feels the land mass is moving, he turns and his blue eye widens to the two large fangs pointing at him, with a third irregular fang protruding from the front center of the mouth. Slithering onto the mass of land was a giant black serpent with two purple haze eyes; they seem to leer on Slade in a hypnotic fashion. This serpent has several scales that protrude from the brows, crest of the jaw, and spine. Hissing its mouth with a hellish hiss the heat produced makes a distortion of the area in front of the mouth, it speaks in Akaige's voice "The falcon returns, its mate dead and children gone he makes a vow to avenge them. He hunts long and hard, killing millions of serpents before finding the one he seeks." Slade notices the red crackles over the large serpent, his chest still has the deep burning mark, "They struggle, and soon enough the serpent is caught, but the falcon has been poisoned by many serpent up till now and he is dying, he has not the energy to kill the serpent. The falcon then takes the serpent into the sky, he flies to the heavens as far as he can and makes his way to a mountainous region. Soon," Akaige has his tail in the lava; the tail is slowly creeping behind Slade. "The falcon comes to his death but not before ensuring the serpents demise! They both plummet, both die, and like heroes they do the same. Tell me, are you a hero?"

Akaige's tail whips forth, Slade flies over the tail and screams his call as he lands on another landmass. "I'm no hero! I hardly even fit the bill of a redeemed villain vigilante! No, I'm a guy who just does what it takes! Sure, you call me a beast wishing to be freed, and some think I'm a knight trying to save the day." Slade slinks his eye in hate, "In the end though I'm just a guy who has lost too many people, to let some ugly ass monster take one more away from me."

Akaige screams as he sprawls forward, "Okay, that's it! Come here and get in my belly!"

Slade flaps his wings and begins clawing at the face of Akaige. Akaige latches his tail on the foot of Slade trying to weigh the bird down. Cyborg is watching when the others are slowly starting to watch through the hole. Robin asks "What is up with those two things?"

Cyborg turns saying, "Slade turned into that big phoenix thing, then the serpent was actually Akaige!"

Beast Boy blinks, "Really? Man I always miss out on the cool stuff!"

Frylock looks back at the white hooded figure coming their way, "Raven! You're…" his eyes raise a brow, "Whoa, is that really… you?"

Raven floats right by Frylock. She floats into the chamber and slowly makes towards the two fighting monsters turning the lava to stone as she rolls over it. Slade is swung down hard with the serpent constricting his form; Akaige laughs a hiss, "Now Wilson! This time I'm finishing this stup…" a white beam hits Akaige's head making it bob back and then fall straight down hard. Akaige's snake form slowly turns to his humanoid form with the claw forming where the head once was. Slade turns to his human self breathing heavily he feels a set of soft hands grab his face. Slade looks up to the hooded figure he knew was Raven, but her cloak is white and she seems even taller? Slade is lifted up; his wounds are all healing instantly with her touch. Slade stood, instead of towering over Raven she has only to look a tilt of her head to be locking her sweet smile onto his face. Slade grabs her hood and pulls it back; he is astonished she has become older! She was beautiful; her face looks much the same but feminine beauty was all her shape. Her body has also a swerved look, her feet not shoes but boots. The long lavender hair is still long, she looks much the same yet it was obvious she was matured.

Akaige is lifting up; he smirks to her saying, "With her powers matured her form has also caught up. Housing all that power she has reached her peak of physical development." Raven turns with a blank look, Akaige tips his head and shrugs, "Not that bad Raven! Tell me; are you able to wield that power yet?"

To answer Raven raises her right arm and fires a sparse beam that goes straight through Akaige's left shoulder. The hole is there and it burns with cinders unable to heal. Akaige grabs the wound and his eyes excitedly begin to twain, "Ah! That really hurt!" he shies his eyes back up, "So this is what Bloody Angel was all about?"

"No…" Raven speaks with her voice but it sounds more defined, "This is what I am about, my life not my father's. I am Raven not Bloody Angel." Akaige grins as he puts his arms out from his sides playfully, "Well said! Like all the others you have some stupid point of illusion! Well, are we going to do this thing or what?"

Raven's cape flutters and she runs in on Akaige. He rises up his claw and begins firing beams of purple energy Raven backhands away and into the walls. Raven got close and Akaige starts tossing his fists. Raven makes her shields and they are white ones. Akaige breaks the shields with strong punches; Raven pushes Akaige back with her two palms irradiating a beam. The beam burns the hole in his gullet deeper, his ribs are slightly exposed. With his eyes showing the pain but his mouth smiling wide Akaige launches another set of punches and kicks. The sword is freed from his back, Akaige swings down but Raven clamps her two palms on the blade with her hands glowing. Akaige bares his entire body onto the blade as Raven smirks wider. The two hands glow brighter and the energy explodes to then blast Akaige's blade into the lava. Akaige looks back having a fist burning into his right leg.

Akaige screams as he backhands Raven with his claw. She is swung off and soon she stands up shaking her head, turning back up she sees Akaige is charging his claw to fire a large orb of energy. Raven charges her own hand and as the ball was released she fires her own beam to break it. Akaige falters on his one leg; his flesh seems to be falling off the bone. Raven stops her attacks looking in awe then she smiles, "That power you were using from Pakku is gone. You can't keep your form anymore."

Akaige glares his eyes, "A real warrior would keep fighting me just in case!" Raven turns her back scoffing, "I'm not a warrior, and neither are you!"

Akaige's eyes burned bright, "There's many kinds of warriors wench!" Akaige's mouth glows with a pale red and purple that soon fires out as a small blast. Raven turns and backhands it with her energy, she grimaces while grabbing her wrist. The beam was deflected but it burned her hand. "Don't ever underestimate… me…" he glares his fang grin as the bones and flesh seem to shatter to black and purple dust, he disappears in that mist.

Raven rubs her hand feeling a tight grip around her waist, she turns and sees Slade who is smiling at her, "You did it Raven!"

The others make over the area to her. They hug and suffocate her like mad. Raven just smiles at them the whole time. She hears many congratulation, and things of that sort. Slade grabs her face to direct her to him, his eye looks proud on her before he moves slowly on her face to kiss her. They do this and hear the ooo and aaa of the others. They ignore it; they had more important things to worry about.

There is a sound, Raven pulls off seeing a piece of stone falling from the ceiling. Raven looks around, the beams Akaige tossed and she reflected earlier made many cracks in the wall except that last one, it just seemed to burn through. "Don't ever underestimate… me…" she did, he knew he couldn't fight her like that so he did the next best thing! He made the place start collapsing!

The heroes make a speedy retreat, through the now crumbling tunnels and passages they reach the bridge and Beast Boy barely passes it as it fell. Terra swept in grabbing him, he smirks as she pulls him tightly and swerves to the others. The teams make to the main entrance… but it has collapsed? Raven looks to the ceiling, then the floor a hole was burnt through. That last one, the one that burnt her was meant to burn the last tunnel to trap them all! Raven slams her fist on a wall, Slade grabs her shoulder, "Can't you teleport us?"

Raven looks at them all, "I'm not powerful enough to take everyone! I mean…"

The H.I.V.E. kids and Blackfire look around, Jinx asks "You want us to stay and die?"

Raven cringes, "I can't… I just…"

The roof crunches in, a 2-D ship opens up and Ignigknot pops out, "Those not wishing to be flatter than us better get on board!"

Eer hops off, "That's right! Move it or loose it!"

Mammoth smiles with the rock face "Cool! Now I can take Rocky with us!"

"My name is not Rocky!"

"Adrian!" Mammoth takes the sighing Rocky on the ship. The ship putters off as the caverns all fall in on themselves leaving a deep impression in the abandoned part of the city. The heroes watch from the windows as this happens. Robin asks "Why did you help us?"

"Because, it was the will of the moon."

Eer adds, "That and we figured fewer chances you survive and hold a grudge if we saved you… did it work?"

…Titans Tower…

The tower is buzzing with noise. Beast Boy and Terra are dancing wild with Starfire and Robin rump-bumping in dance. Jinx is talking with Cyborg as they are having a good time. Frylock and Meatwad are confused as Shake who was killed earlier just seems to be drinking the fruit punch by the barrel. Ignigknot and Eer are challenging Mammoth and Gizmo to a drinking contest, using their own drinks from outside the party. Blackfire is sitting at the couch thinking about that Pakku guy, he seemed kind of nice. She doesn't know from the shadows Pakku was watching as Pakka reaches and pulls him back to their world to work.

Slade was not in the party he was on the roof looking up to the sky. Hearing a noise Slade looks back and sees Raven making her way to him. "Well, where have you been?"

Raven, taller and prettier to a degree, struts in with her red dress on somehow she altered it so she could wear it! Slade looks her over and sighs, "To tell you the truth my dear," Slade grabs her in his arms and pulls her tight, "I was afraid I was never going to hold you again!"

Raven smirks as she leans up and kisses his lips tenderly before pulling back and laying her fingertips on his cheek, "You should have known I would never let you do that."

Slade smiles as he turns her around, the sun was rising in the distance. Raven lies her head back in his chest, "You know I'm not going to age anymore Slade, are you willing to live like this?"

Slade shrugs, "Why not? It should be better than having my life being a living hell."

Raven slowly lowers her head, "I'm sorry…" Slade raises a brow, "If I was never so strange."

Slade chuckles and nuzzles his face in her hair, letting his eye look between the strands he whispers, "I wouldn't have you any other way."

…Shadow Realm…

Black and purple mists start to swirl around the skull throne. They form quickly to Akaige, he sits in the throne yawning as his cape flutters around his form, "That was fun now to get some rest." Gaikotsu enters and Akaige opens his eyes, "That wouldn't be someone trying to disturb me?"

Gaikotsu coughs, Akaige sits up moaning. "Trigon has requested a meeting with you… and he sounds a little pissed."

Akaige frowns, "He is such a stubborn demon." Akaige disappears into the shadows and he reappears in a room of flames. Trigon is sitting in his throne with the screams of the tortured all around him. Trigon snorts his nostrils, his one hand taps the holster of his arm with anger, "How could you betray me?"

"I never betrayed you. I mentioned the fact that plan was flawed you decided to not listen." Akaige grins, "Besides, those kids were not going to go down so easily it is better a demon like myself took the initiative to make something out of the mess!"

Trigon snarls, "You're a peon Akaige!" Akaige narrows his eyes, "Your father was more deserving of that empire he and I were brothers in destiny! You act on such petty instincts and endangered my plans too many times!"

Trigon stands to only be sat back down, a claw on his throat it is not able to grip the whole throat but it threatens to tear into his jugular, "You listen here you overgrown baboon! I have given you countless realms before and put my own ass on the line to help you! I have made some pretty freaking dangerous enemies, ones I normally wouldn't be caught dead in making… well," Akaige lets his claw return to his side, "Actually the only time I'd be caught is dead. Never mind, what I mean is you have no place to speak to me is such a tone! You know if I wanted I could rip through you and this entire army of yours! I could call my minions and this realm would become mine!"

Trigon snarls, Akaige just raises his arms, "However, I don't want your realm mine is trouble enough! Take into account that the next time you make accusations." Akaige turns to leave, "If you truly feel cheapened I'll be willing to help conquer one of those rebellious realities you have trouble with you."

"And be tricked again?" Trigon roars out, Akaige just sighs deeply "I told you that was only because you were not going to win. I knew it, and I warned you! If I did not take that chance to rule that realm to make Raven and Slade so powerful your adversaries from the Council could always take it." Akaige turns back up to a pleased Trigon, "That makes sense enough?"

Trigon smirks, "Akaige, at first I thought you just wanted to add to your own power."

Akaige shrugs, "I have enough power Trigon. So do we have an understanding?"

Trigon nods sitting with his arms crossed his lips snarls, "Do you remember Tiamat?"

Akaige looks to the side, "Tiamat, she is a dragon deity god of chaos. Very powerful and of course other things are rumored about her power." Akaige looks back up, "Several realities are controlled under her religious sects strongly and others they are held under only werewolf legends. I think I know where you are going with this."

Trigon smirks, "A problem is a life is coming to power, the Arbiter."

Akaige looks up and smirks, "I thought…"

Trigon nods, "Not her, this one is a male of all things." Trigon sees the hint of joy in Akaige's eyes, "I need assistance Akaige and knowing you and your skills perhaps this one will be another one of your perfect prey cases."

Akaige shakes his head no, "No Trigon, this is not just prey. I know this kind of force, he's not prey, he's a hunter… just like me." Akaige looks to his side and makes some steps, "Perhaps I should keep an eye on this Hunter, and see what… his life will bring."

Trigon watches as Akaige leaves. He has a small hint of rage in his four eyes, "I'll be keeping an eye on you Akaige. Whether or not you can be trusted, no one should have the power you do!"

(Read Psychic Werewolf Assassin's fic "The Hunter: The Beginning" it is great, and leads off this fic to that one kind of since it has Akaige. It is freaking awesome, seriously!)

…Titans Tower…

The party winds down after a while. Eer and Ignigknot are on their ship, Ignigknot screams, "Come on! We haven't got all day!"

"Actually, we kind of do" Eer says that, Ignigknot glares over and slaps Eer, "Oh… you just…" Eer grabs his gun and screams firing as Ignigknot runs into his ship. Blackfire floats over to Starfire and shrugs, "Sorry little sister but the stars are calling."

Perhaps the next time we meet you shall be a law abiding citizen?"

"Yeah… and Flampazeal have Mangalvlexels!" Blackfire laughs before floating into the ship. Frylock shakes his fry with Cyborg, "I hope you all take care."

"Sure, you too! It was um… well; I thought being half metal was weird but being half food and… whatever is a little stranger."

Meatwad smiles up to Beast Boy, "Keep it chillin, do no illin double B. of the G.!"

"That's right my little buddy!"

Shake just groans then asks Robin, "God, how do you not kill that green guy?"

Robin shrugs, "He's pretty funny. It's not like you kill your meat guy."

Shake snarls, "I would but he just won't stay dead!"

The three exit on the ship as it flies off to the other part of the city. Gizmo shrugs, "So what do we do now?"

Mammoth looks over and frowns, "Yeah, now that the H.I.V.E. is screwed what should we do?"

Jinx sort of just slumps down and sits, "Oh wow… this is new. I don't have any ideas!"

Raven floats in with Slade behind her, "I have an idea." The three villains and the other titans look over. Raven turns to Slade who is smiling, he speaks up "Well the Teen Titans has a qualification I'm far past, teenage life. Raven is not really a teenager either."

Robin blinks, "What are you trying to say?"

Raven smiles weakly, "Well, I was thinking about the H.I.V.E. kids, and Terra, all of them together would be even better than when I was a titan!"

The titans all look shocked; Beast Boy screams "You're our team's main girl Rae! You can't leave us!"

Starfire nods and clicks her fists together, "Friend Raven, do you still not love us?"

Raven shakes her head, "Hold it, I'm not going to stop being all your friends," she looks on Beast Boy, "I'll also be able to help the team if you need me. I'm just leaving to live my new life."

Robin looks at Slade, "I see so you are going to live with Slade?"

Slade glares as Robin was smiling, "Is there something wrong with that?"

Robin shrugs as Cyborg chuckles, "Aw, just deal with it Robin. We can't really tell the girl no, now can we?"

Terra moves her foot across the ground, "So you guys will let me back after all these things?"

Robin turns and smiles, "Terra you're always welcome back." He turns to the three villains, "Heck we could always use new members, or maybe you could join Steel city."

Jinx looks to her partners, they all smirk together, "Hell we can't pass up a chance like this I guess we can try the whole hero thing."

Gizmo adds "Especially with that whole firey-wingy thing she and Slade can do."

Slade glares his eye, "Are you saying I wasn't scary enough before?"

The three villains sweat before Raven tugs Slade's arm, "Come on Slade let's just go."

Slade turns and smiles, "Yes Raven." He grabs her in his arms and speaks softly, "Together, let's go."

The teenagers watch the two sprouted these flaming white wings. Soon a white phoenix and raven rise up into the sky twirling up into the sky towards the horizon. The two birds break apart and fly side by side letting the remaining teenagers in awe of the two birds and their powerful light. With their combined light the shadows all around the tower were flickering out. Like their dark pasts that now seemed to disappear together the two bids make towards the sun and a brighter future. Their shadows would no longer flicker in darkness because together they had more than enough light to see a bright future together.

The End… yet also the beginning… of a better life.

Note: That is how it ends. A happy ending, kind of cute too if you ask me! I will add another chapter to say thanks to the reviewers in all. Allow me to say a special thanks to Infamous One who inspired me to add all of Slade's comic past, because so few even remember the comics let alone read them! Thanks to Psychic Werewolf Assassin for their story The Hunter which seems to add to the character of Akaige, and gives me some more ways to play with his story. Special thanks also go to all the reviewers who gave me the pleasure of writing this for their ideas and feelings, also thanks to all my readers who have had the chance to read and hopefully enjoyed the story up till now too.