For a moment, Raven could only stare at Adonis' sudden appearance. Then, when he turned to look at her, his eyes widened and he flashed an ugly smile at her. That was all she needed to launch a beam of black energy at him. He crossed his arms in front of his face and stood his ground, only to have the beam whip around and open up into the shape of a bird's talons, grabbing one of his legs and flinging him out into the parking lot. Raven and Starfire quickly followed the tumbling figure out, flying side-by-side. Out in the parking lot, the two watched Adonis pull himself to his feet and flex his mechanical arms.
"You're gonna have to do better, little girls, if you want to fight ADONIS!"
Starfire tensed, and Raven shot a hand out to hold her back. "He's too strong. Stay out of reach until the others get here."
Starfire nodded and flew straight up before throwing a cluster of starbolts at Adonis. He began swatting them out of the air. When the last wisps of bio-plasma dissipated, Raven saw the paint on his hands wasn't even singed.
"Upgraded your suit, I see."
"I'm back, and badder than ever!" Once again, he flexed.
"They do say clothes make the man. Or in this case, make up for lack thereof."
Adonis howled and charged straight for Raven, who responded by flying straight at him. As they moved closer, two cars were enveloped in black energy and took into the air, trailing behind Raven. Just as Adonis pulled his arm back to swing, Raven stopped in mid-air and her form became an indistinct black mass. Adonis' eyes widened – and the two cars, no longer under her control but propelled by inertia, passed harmlessly through her and smashed into Adonis, pushing him back and burying him under their weight. Raven floated up to Starfire and reformed in a defensive stance, knowing he wouldn't stay down long. She was right. The girls watched as the two cars shifted – then one of them was suddenly flying towards them. Raven began her chant, but seeing as the car was coming too fast to finish and focus her mind properly, Starfire quickly pushed her out of the way before dodging to the side herself. Raven tumbled through the air before catching and righting herself, turning back towards where Starfire was. She wasn't there. She was on the ground, being choked by Adonis.
"Starfire!"
"Huh? Oops, wrong one." Adonis casually wrapped one hand over Starfire's head and slammed it into the concrete, before pulling back and throwing her through the nearest wall.
"Damn you!" Raven's eyes glowed brightly as she raised a hand. Thrusting it forward, a line of force lashing out like a whip. It slammed into Adonis' armored chest with a huge CRACK. Pulling her arm back, she repeated the motion again and again as Adonis struggled towards her under the assault. Closing the distance between them, he suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Raven's arms, pulling them wide.
"Whoa! You really let yourself go! Since it's just the two of us now, how about a date?"
Raven grimaced at the contact, then smirked at a flicker of motion behind him. Starfire flew up with a yell and a two-handed slam aimed at his head. But faster than Raven thought possible, he threw her aside and turned, interrupting Starfire's charge with a backhand that sent her flying in the opposite direction. Dazed from hitting the ground, Raven could only watch as Adonis stomped over to her friend. Starfire was shaking her head, trying to rise, as one of Adonis' oversized feet crashed down on her back, pushing her into her pavement. Starfire tried to stand back up, but he stomped on her again and again, continuing even after she stopped trying to rise.
"STOP IT!"
Adonis merely looked over his shoulder, tossing her an ugly smile, and resumed kicking Starfire. Raven tried to use her powers, but the sight of Starfire being mercilessly beaten kept her from focusing. Her head began to hurt. Her heart twisted in her chest. Her vision blurred.
Stop it…Stop it…Stop it… Adonis raised his foot once more. A tiny black bead, no larger than a marble, slammed into the small of his back and sent him into a parked car, the metal folding itself around him from the depth of the impact. Tearing himself free, Adonis opened his mouth to scream at the pale girl standing over Starfire – and froze.
Raven turned towards him. Without her cloak, there was nothing to hide her appearance. Her skin seemed paler then usual, almost translucent. Long hair blew in the breeze. Delicate fingers ended with small, sharply pointed claws. And most strikingly, four eyes, glowing red, the second pair in the middle of her forehead. She stared at him, and her new eyes only enhanced the look of contempt, disgust, and pure, undiluted hatred. Her head shook a slow 'no' and she spoke quietly, but with a harshness to it that made Adonis feel like something was clawing it's way into his skull through his ears.
"Men. You just never listen…"
Adonis' jaw worked, but no sound came out. He could only stare. Pulling himself to his feet, he took a slow step towards her, and another. Raven lazily lifted one hand and pointed a finger at Adonis. A thin black line shot out, punching right through his armored leg and sending him sprawling to the ground.
"Now, here I was, having a nice little dance with my dear friend Starfire…"
Raven began to walk towards Adonis as he tried to pull the line out of his leg without success. A second finger was raised, and a barbed line went through his arm, causing it to spark in protest before falling limp. Adonis looked up at the approaching girl, fear plain on his face.
"When someone went and interrupted us right when it was getting interesting…"
"Wha, what, how did-"
"And you didn't even have the decency to say…" Raven's mouth split into a wide grin, revealing a set of pointy teeth with prominent fangs. "May I cut in?"
Another line whistled through the air, piercing his chest just off to one side. Adonis shrieked and began to flail at the black energy, trying to dislodge the lines that held him down. They didn't budge.
"Ooooo…Forgot just how scrawny you really are in there. Maybe…a little to the left?"
One more line, needle-thin, hit him dead center and continued out his back. Adonis' face twisted in pain, and his body shook as much as his bonds allowed before he began coughing, blood hitting the pavement in front of him.
"S-st-stop it…"
Raven's eyes narrowed and she leaned forward slightly. Then she raised the hand that had thrown the lines and wiggled the one finger that didn't have a line attached to it. She smirked, and Adonis' face paled.
"N-no no no youcan't youwon't THIS ISN"T HAPPENING!" The fake depth had finally dropped from his voice, replaced by obvious terror.
Energy began to gather around her hand. She raised the hand holding the lines and wiggled her fingers. Adonis' body twisted and jerked upright like a puppet on a string, drawing a fresh gasp of pain as the line in his chest shifted.
"I can. I will. And I'm going to enjoy it."
A black spear flew from her hand. Adonis screamed. A flash of green suddenly intercepted the attack a moment before it would've hit, and Raven whirled on the source. Starfire had pulled herself to her feet, swaying and almost falling, her eyes flickering with the after-energies of the beams she had fired.
"R-Raven. Stop. You have to-" Starfire swayed once more and began to fall. Before she hit the ground, she found herself in Raven's arms. Four red eyes locked with hers, but before she passed out, Starfire could see that they had lost the edge of malice, replaced with…sadness? Pain?
"Starfire! Damn! Hold on…" Raven raised a hand to the wounded girl's chest and began pouring healing energy into her. Damn! Rage or not, I should of gone to help her immediately! Damn it all…The red glow began to fade from Raven's eyes.
A high-pitched scream from behind her made her turn. Looking up, she saw Adonis plummeting towards her, both hands clasped together above his head. Raven's grip tightened on Starfire, and put herself between the two. The red aura flared from her eyes once again.
This time… She raised a hand. I'll be the shield…A stream of black lightning burst from her hand as Adonis almost came close enough to reach out and grab her. Adonis screamed in pain, and something attached to his belt shattered, dousing Raven with something cold and wet. His armor cracking loudly before crumbling completely, leaving a much smaller Adonis sprawled out cold on the pavement a fair distance away.
I'm sorry…Exhausted, Raven lowered Starfire to the ground and kneeled next to her. She still had one hand on Starfire's arm, and she pulled it from the warm skin with no small amount of reluctance. She could hear her friends approaching, calling to her. Darkness creeping at the edges of her vision, she allowed herself to fall next to her friend as weariness began to drag her down.
But real or not, I can't let this go on…And then, merciful sleep.