Wounds of Filth
Chapter 4: Syringe
By: DeathIsOnlyTheBeginin
DISCLAIMER: I DONT OWN ANYTHING BUT THE PLOT!
(Enjoy! Read and Review Please!)
Crimson hazed Robin's vision as he typed away on the keyboard beneath his flying fingers, his eyes narrowed in concentration. Cyborg stood with a heavy hand on the back of their leader's computer chair, chanting different orders and suggestions. The rest of the team stood motionless behind them.
Raven clung to the shadows, her shapely figure concealed within the essence of false darkness. Her weary eyes grasped the digital screen, her heart thumping loudly inside the cavern of her chest. A haunting feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, her mind screaming many a plea of escape. She fought them off half-heartedly, knowing that her own true wish was just to be safely inside the confinement of her room, where nothing but her thoughts ever worried her.
"Got it!" Robin announced loudly, anxiety edging his voice, "A truck load of Slade's minions are robbing the power plant on Hangman's Cliff-"
Raven watched Beast Boy pail slightly, his eyes growing large with hesitance, "Oh man..."
"They're only a few miles out of town. If we leave now, we should be able to stop them." The Boy Wonder finished before standing, his fingers balling into fists,
"Titans, go!"
Completely synchronized, the team, spare two, rushed from the room and out into the garage. Raven stared at the changeling currently fumbling with his hands. She rolled her eyes before grabbing his arm and transporting them from the tower.
The outside sun glared into the avatar's eyes as she threw BB into the air, watching as he transformed into a large hawk. The unmistakable sound of Robin's R-cycle rumbled below her and she glance down, only to see her leader's cape flying out behind him, his grip revving the engine as he popped a wheelie and sped up. Starfire floated beside him, her hands and eyes sparking with green electricity. Cyborg chose to linger behind the team, his T-car roaming over the pavement smoothly, its perfect paint job glinting in the sun.
The Titans zipped up the many twists and turns of Hangman's Cliff, the only sounds consisting of Beast Boy's bird cries, motors and flying ruble.
Raven scanned the perimeter, her eyes tracing the land intensely, their pupils searching every dark corner for some sign of the enemy. With none found, she focused on the building before her, its entirety growing larger as she neared it.
Robin pulled into a sideways halt in front of the company steps, groups of droids loading tons and tons of unlabeled toxins into four blank trucks. He swung from his bike quickly and raced towards the robots, the rest of the team joining in on the attack.
Cyborg aimed his cannon-blaster at the assembly line of cargo-passing droids and fired, sending pieces of metal, wire and blue power ripping through the air. Beast Boy let out a final birdcall before touching down onto the soil and shifting into the form of a rhino. He grunted loudly, tackling a large mass of Slade's minions, he's hind legs and head bucking at odd angles in order to illuminate any missed. Green bolts of lighting whipped past Raven's face, small explosions raging in after shock below her before Starfire shot by.
The half-daemon gritted her teeth, her body fading into the large form of a raven, its power soon taking out more than a dozen of the enemy. Sounds of war rang through her ears as she twisted back into her original form. A droid launched itself at her, his metal gleaming in the hot sun. He attacked quickly, thrusting a fist into her face.
Metal connected with flesh and Raven sprawled backward, her body slamming down onto the stiff ground that was, only moments ago, resting beneath her feet. She groaned loudly, her eyes tightly shut in the shock of being hit. The sound of running footsteps met her ears, followed by none and she rolled to her side. The ground shook shortly, the droid's fist ramming into soil instead of Raven's face. With a loud cry, the avatar swung her leg around and smirked when her heal connected with the automation's head. The masked skull flew into the air, the severed cranium wires zapping with cut voltage before clattering to the ground.
"Raven!" Cyborg yelled, his cannon obliterating a hardly formidable enemy with a single, barely charged blast, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," she assured, her attention adverted otherwise.
Slade stood atop the building's lowest roof, his posture perfect, hands linked behind his back casually. Raven glanced over at Robin, whom quickly finished the last visible droid with a sharp plunge of his bow-staff. His cape whipped to the side and his masked instantly eyes locked onto the form of his illicit foe.
Slade, knowing Robin's attention was settled upon him, turned and jumped from the building, his form racing down the cliff's only road. Robin snarled before sprinting after him, a call to his team fleeing his lips as he did so.
Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire took up his rear, leaving Raven behind. She coughed from their dust slightly before chasing after them, the sound of dirt crunching beneath her feet flooding her ears.
Raven's hood suddenly tightened around her throat and she gagged, her body lifted from the ground shortly before being thrown backward. She winced as her spine collided with the building's front steps, clouds of dust swirling up into the air.
The sound of shredding fabric tore through her ears and into the atmosphere. Panicked, Raven blindly attempted to fight the one whom restrained her, and to no avail. The day's warm breeze caressed a newly bare spot of an arm's gray flesh, the torn material hanging lamely towards the ground.
The tip of a needle kissed her skin and she shrieked, her teeth exposed in an ugly scowl as her eyes shot open.
The android hand clenching her arm tightened and Raven grunted from the tight pinch. Her wide violets locked onto a rather large syringe, its broad needle catching a glint from the sun. Her eyes followed it down to the very impression it made in her skin.
Blood pooled around the barely inserted indicator, its ruby hued disgustedly in the dirty air. Without warning, the droid fully submerged the needle in skin and flesh. Raven's head thrashed around violently, her eyes tearing with anguish as she cried out.
Hot steal swam through her blood, rubbing her sanity raw. Ice lingered on the burning's edges, further damaging her scorched nerves with frostbite. The poison swerved and wove up her spine, spinning its nasty web of painful entanglement along the way.
It hit Raven's head hard, its wings spreading wide and devouring her intellect whole, banishing her world to complete darkness. She lay brokenly on the stairs in an uncomfortable state of unconsciousness and the droid removed his hold before gathering her up in his arms and standing.
Slade and Robin stood less than the leader's height away from each other, the sun casting cruel shadows over their faces. Slade's back rubbed up against a high, cliff wall, the resource cutting him off from any further retreat.
Robin's face contorted in disgust at the man before him, his body poised and ready for the fight he knew was to come.
Clouds rolled by, taunting the pair as they slithered around the blistering sun, avoiding it by every and all means.
The Boy Wonder's eyes narrowed form the agitation of anxiety. The wind tossed his dark locks carelessly, his cape shuffling around his legs idly.
"The game is over Slade, you have no where else to run!"
The adherence thriving enemy chuckled low in his throat, his visible eye expressing the knowledge of some secret joke.
A feeling of unease filled Robin's gut instantly, yet he maintained a semblance of indifference. His team was set behind him, ready to strike at the smallest sign of danger.
"Robin, Robin, Robin. You are proving to be a most irritating disappointment," Slade monologued as he stepped away from the rock wall tower, it's tall, majestic glory banished in the boiling heat, leaving behind nothing but pointless stone.
Slade paced, his metal boots and suit caked in the earth's dry, dead soil, "The game is far from over, Robin. It is only just beginning."
Sweat dewed around Robin's neck and above his brow, heightening his desire of finality. Without warning, he lunged at his foe. His gloved fist connected with nothing, Slade easily moving to the side. The enemy caught Robin by his cape and slammed his knee into the his stomach.
'First rule of combat. Never attack your enemy first.' Batman's voice echoed through Robin's mind as he crumbled to the ground, he waited for a single second before pushing himself up. He charged again.
Robin threw round upon round of perfectly planned punches and hit nothing but the humid air, Slade somehow managing to sneak by them all. Every kick Robin assaulted, Slade blocked and delivered one more powerful, his always executing perfectly.
With another hard blow to his chest, Robin fell to the ground, the skies spinning above him. Groaning, he scrambled to his feet and launched himself at Slade's back. The rival turned quickly and delivered a sharp kick to The Boy Wonder's abdomen, knocking the teen backward.
Robin fell to one knee, his arms wrapped around his stomach as he attempted to regain his winded breath.
"Poor Robin, you are only burying yourself deeper in denial. I'm winning." Slade soothed menacingly, his tall form towering over Robin's own.
The Amazing Grayson glanced up at his adversary, loathing shinning in his eyes. Something sparked behind the dark of Slade's eye and the restlessness within Robin's stomach lurched violently.
"What are yo-"
He couched, blood from his broken ribs suddenly tainting his lips. He dropped his head, his shoulders tense as his fingers dug into the dirt,
"Planning..."
Slade chuckled shortly, his hand reaching in the direction of Starfire, "Patience Robin, patience."
With a smirk, he seized a thick lock of the redhead's hair in a fist and tugged her to him. The alien girl winced in pain, her nails tearing at Slade's iron grip. Behind his mask, Slade wore a large smile.
Robin's eyes stretched wide and he reached out for his friend, toppling over when his reach extended too far. He lifted his fallen face from the sandy ground,
"Let her go!"
"Tsk, tsk, Robin. You are hardly in any state to be giving out orders."
Slade drug Starfire to the cliff's edge, her heals stirring up dirt. Carelessly, he whipped her over the jagged side, his fingers holding the tangle of her hair tightly.
Star screeched loud and full, agony riding on the blades of her voice. The roots of her hair peeled the pores of her head, blood slithering down the back of her cranium, mingling with the ruby of her locks. Bruises and swelling had already begun to pulsate around her damaged skull. Starfire looked down, her eyes on the booted feet of hers, their soles dangling hundreds of feet above the far away ground. Breathing heavily, Star reached up, her fingers attempting to rid herself of Slade's grasp. If only he would drop her, she could fly away.
Slade, noticing Starfire's sudden reaction, reached into his pocket and tugged out a set of golden handcuffs. Casually, he bent over and snapped the shackles around the girl's wrists. Star gasped in surprise, her linked hands held slightly above Slade's own free-ones.
"I can't have you able to fly, now can I?"
Starfire choked on a sob and let her chained hands fall back to her front. She had no choice but to leave her hair in his dirty grasp now.
Smug, Slade jerked his arm up quickly and she screamed, tears flowing freely down her face.
"STARFIRE!" Robin cried, his voice raspy and somewhat muffled by bloodied saliva.
'Perfect.' Slade thought, a hint of disappointment lacing his mind. Robin was becoming far too weak for his liking, he would have to change that.
With a slight shake of his head, Slade released the alien under his power and watched as she plummeted towards the ravine below.
Star screamed as air whistled past her ears, her heart hammering in her chest. Robin jumped to his feet, forgetting the amount of pain he was in and shot one of his roped bird-a-rangs down in her direction. The red robin whizzed around Starfire's agile waist and hooked with the cord, jerking the Tamaranian into a quick stop.
Slade approached The Boy Wonder from behind silently, "Good job, Robin."
Robin growled before shoving an elbow into Slade's unprotected stomach. The enemy stumbled backward, slightly shocked. Robin stole that amount of time and used it to pull Starfire back up.
When the alien's feet were firmly on the ground, she smiled at Robin in thanks before running to Cyborg and BB's sides, noticing for the first time that they were bound in glowing ropes, their mouths clamped shut with transparent gel.
Robin turned back to Slade, who was simply staring up at the higher slab of cliff the factory rested on. The second mountain scraped the sky not ten feet from them. The Boy Wonder's eyes followed Slade's gaze.
Raven lay draped over the robotic arms of a droid, her head tilted back almost brokenly as her arms and legs dangled without care. Violet hair trickled downward in one shinning stream of indigo and Robin's eyes widened, the source of sickness within his stomach suddenly realized.
"No," he whispered; spit layering over the back of his tongue.
"I've made an interesting discovery, Robin." Slade said, his eye never wandering.
Raven's violets cracked open, their dull purple holding the sun's reflection. Confused for a moment, she glanced around, her irises landing on the tall form of silver and black. A recollection of memories bombarded her hard and she instantly recalled all that had led up to her being captive.
With a gasp, she attempted to move her arms but found that they would not cooperate, the limbs hanging deadly, her fingers stretched towards the ground. Dirt kicked up though the air and she cried out, her eyes eventually catching sight of the edge she was hovering over.
Robotic arms held her loosely, the metal cooling to the touch. A surge of emotion rang through Raven's body and she sobbed. A loud explosion erupted from behind her and she closed her depths, the sickening anxiety of what was to come clogged in her throat.
The temperature of Robin's body dropped and a cold sweat erupted over the entirety of his skin. He swallowed hard, the saliva built up in the back of his throat, washing away. Slade watched the boys reaction from the corner of his eye, obviously pleased with himself.
'Just a little longer...'
"Robin," He addressed, "I find it extremely peculiar that you are just sitting here. Why aren't you running to her aid? Do you not treasure her as much as the alien girl behind me?"
Without Robin's noticing, Slade reached towards his belt and flicked a switch, a small blinking light suddenly flashing red.
The Boy Wonder sent his enemy a solid, fiery glare, his muscles tense and aching,
"Of course I do!" He spat, "And don't you EVER think otherwise!"
Slade chuckled, his fingers lacing with each other behind his back,
"Hmm...then...why are you hesitating?"
"I...," Robin looked down at the dirt, "I...but...it's just...Raven..she...she has always been able to take care of herself."
The wicked man behind the mask arched a hidden eyebrow,
"And what if she isn't able to now? What happens if she is no closer to achieving escape than Starfire herself was only moments ago?"
Robin could feel panic stirring in his gut, his eyes locked onto the dangling limbs of his fellow Titan held high above him. He would never get there in time. The thought ate at him, his muscles burning with anger and self-loathing. Why hadn't he checked to make sure everyone was with him!
Raven arched an eyebrow, "Since when do you care about where I am?"
Robin shrugged, "I don't. But it's kind of hard not to notice that someone has been in the bathroom for three hours."
'Liar.' Robin accused himselfbefore letting his head topple to the ground, the skin of his forehead rubbing against his knees. He had let her down, and now Slade held her in his clutches. It was all his fault.
The foe smiled wildly, his eye wide with triumph. Robin had laid his weakness out on the dirt before him, the letters practically written in the dead soil.
Guilt.
Slade glanced back up at the female Azarathian in his driod's arms, her magnificent hair shinning in the blazing sun. Curtly, he nodded his head.
Raven screamed as the arms holding her from death fell away, her eyes catching Slade's obvious signal for release. Her cape cracked in the wind, its long, silky fabric tangling around her lean body. Her cries were lost in the immense shriek of wind, tears forming in her depths as the growling gusts blew the irises dry.
Robin's heart stopped in his chest violently and he crawled to the rock jagged lip, one arm stretched in Raven's direction as he screamed her name. Thousands of disclaimers rushed through his mind, as her figure twirled and bolted just beyond the tips of his fingers.
"NO!" He screeched, a bloodied hand reaching into his utility belt and grasping a roped bird-a-rang. With a war cry he shot it and watched it wrap around a nearby rock.
A coarse grunt ripped past his throat as Robin jumped, his body vertical with the ravine below. Biting his lip, the Boy Wonder pressed his arms tighter against his sides, his speed increasing until he was only arms length from Raven's snarling cape. With a deafened call, Robin reached fully, his fingers stressed and spreading.
Victory and relief bounded through his nerves as the digits wrapped around Raven's cloak and the dark sorceress was pulled to a quick stop. The last of Robin's rope allowed them to plummet for a few more feet before sharply halting. The two hung lamely suspended in their air.
"RAVEN!" Robin screamed, his free hand clasping his hook and eye gun back to his belt. Carefully, he bent over and locked his arms together around her slim waist, pulling her into an awkward embrace.
"Robin?" Raven whispered tiredly, fear rubbing away slightly from the confines of her raging heart. Ebony tinged the corners of her eyes as she stared down at the ground. She thought it was he, the voice sound familiar, yet she could not be completely sure. Feeling as though her skull weighed more than her body itself, Raven craned her neck around, attempting to get a good look at he whom rescued her. Blood suddenly thundered though her temples and Raven's head fell forward, unconscious for the second time that day.
Robin cursed under his breath before the realization that he was being pulled back up set in. He glanced up, fear ceasing his heart when his eyes landed on the form of Slade, the foe's metal gloved hands grasping the rope tightly. Within seconds, the two Titans were on the cliff top.
Robin lay Rae down gently, panting slightly from lack of energy. A flash of black suddenly came from behind and a dull pain exploded through Robin's cranium. With a soft thud, he collapsed on top of the Azarathian, his state of consciousness much like her own.
1/14/2011:
For writers everywhere, I just want to give a heads up to ANYONE who reads any really old story by me and then feels the need to leave a ridiculous, anon review and rant like some child about how dreadful they think it is - I don't care what you think about anything, so don't waste my time. I'm just going to delete your flame anyway, so you might as well not bother to leave it - however, if you must insist upon posting one, I wish you happiness in your futility.
That being said, if you flame - SIGN IN instead of just popping on here like some coward and trying to rip me up over something I wrote AGES ago (ha!). If you flame and then refuse to sign in and offer up your own writing to back your mouth up, keep your mouth closed. I wrote this story 6 years ago. It's an old, amateur, raw piece of work, and I know that. I was only 14 when I started it - but for 14, I did a damn good job.
It's comical that you think you can judge someone's writing capabilities on the shortcomings of their 6-year-old pieces of work - honestly, that just cracks me up. You should know that despite your high opinion of yourself and your obvious belief that I need your "expertise", I'm just laughing at you. I do not need your praise or acknowledgment to validate myself as a writer, and I don't need your dimwitted, ignorant advice. I write very well and I know it. God bless.