And so, we waited, and waited, and waited, and waited some more. The Titans were taking too long to get their sorry asses back here. I was getting more irritated for each minute that went by. Ten minutes turned into an hour, and that hour turned into two hours. I had fallen asleep for ten minutes when I was nudged by Slade's hand, shaking me awake. I opened my eyes and I saw the Titans on the ground. Cyborg was the first to get up.
"Guess that wasn't angry enough" Cyborg said.
Then Beast Boy and the others stood up.
"Of all the places to crash and burn…why'd it have to be here?" Beast Boy asked.
"Please, I wish to leave," Starfire said with a hint of fear in her voice.
"And go where?" Cyborg asked. "The whole world is toast. And the only person who'd know what to do is…we could really use her help right now."
"I know what we saw…but I still can't believe it," Robin said. "It just doesn't feel like Raven's really gone."
That was our cue to walk out of our hiding place.
"That's because she isn't," Slade said.
"Slade," Robin said.
We walked closer and the idiotic Titans attacked us. I put a force field around me, but Slade went flying into the wall behind him. Dad and I weren't fighting back and Robin took out a Bird-a-rang. Dad stood up and he was breathing hard.
"What's the matter, Slade?" Robin asked. "Giving up already?"
My force field went away and I walked closer to them.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Robin, but I'm not here to fight," Slade said. "I'm here to help."
"We don't need your help!" Beast Boy shouted getting into Slade's face angrily.
"Yes. You seem to have everything under control," Slade said dusting his shoulder off lazily. "Raven can still be saved."
Starfire rammed Slade into the wall and she had a Starbolt in her hand.
"You will not dishonor our friend with your trickery!" Starfire yelled in his face.
"Whatever you're selling, we're not buying!" Cyborg yelled readying his Sonic Cannon.
"Think of me what you will," Slade said. "But what Trigon did, even I wouldn't wish on this world."
"It's a little late for "I'm sorry"!" Cyborg said angrily.
"You mistake my generosity for regret, Cyborg," Slade said. "I only offer my assistance because it suits me."
Starfire put Slade down and Robin folded his arms across his chest.
"But we saw Raven become the portal," Starfire said. "She was destroyed!"
"Raven has fulfilled the prophecy of her birth," Slade said walking past them. "That part of her existence is complete. But another part still remains…for the moment."
"Why are you telling us this?" Robin asked. "What's in it for you?"
Slade turned back, facing Robin.
"My reasons are my own," Slade said. "Do you want your friend back or not?"
"Just tell us where she is, and we'll take it from there," Cyborg said.
"There will be no "we." This is a journey only one of you may take," Slade said.
"No deal!" Beast Boy yelled. "She's our friend. All of us are going!"
"Then your friend is doomed to oblivion," Slade said. "You fail to realize, Trigon is all-seeing. His mind can be at any place, at any time. For us to succeed, Trigon's attention must be occupied."
Slade turned around looking away from them and I stood beside him, glaring at the Titans.
"And how do you expect us to do that?" Cyborg asked him angrily. "We already tried fighting him; look where it got us!"
Slade turned back around staring at Cyborg.
"It's the end of the world. Did you think it would be easy?" Slade asked. He walked back towards the Titans. "I don't expect you to win. I don't even expect you to live-only endure."
The Titans stood in silence until Robin piped up.
"I'll go with you," Robin said.
"Robin, no," Starfire pleaded.
"If there's even the slightest chance to save Raven, what choice do we have?" Robin asked.
"The journey to this world has taken much of Trigon's power," Slade said. Slade took out a ring and he held it out in his palm in front of Starfire. "With this, you might be able to survive. It's a ring of Azar-forged by the same order that imprisoned Trigon. I know from experience that it works."
Starfire took the ring and she put it on.
"I know you can do it," Robin said to Starfire.
"It may get ugly-but don't worry," Cyborg said. "We'll keep him busy."
"Yeah," Beast Boy said wrapping his arms around Cyborg's shoulders. He put his finger in his mouth and he had saliva on it. (I know, gross) "Just wait 'til Trigon gets slapped with my patented Wet Willie Maneuver!"
"He won't know what hit him," Robin said smiling.
"Your good-byes are really quite touching-but we have work to do," Slade said walking back the way he came. Robin turned to the others and he hugged Starfire. The moment was ruined when Slade shouted back to them. "Robin!"
"I'll bring her back," Robin said.
Before I walked after Slade and Robin, I turned to the Titans.
"And if you ever touch my Father again," I said, "I'll kill you."
I walked after Slade and Robin and we were walking down a path. Slade and I stopped Robin as we got towards a lake of lava and a boat was sitting in it.
"Before we continue, a warning," Slade said. "If we succeed, I can't guarantee you'll like what you find."
"I'll take my chances," Robin said.
We got into the boat and Slade took the oar/staff thingy into his hands and we started moving. Robin stayed behind Slade and me. Robin broke the silence that had been going on for ten minutes.
"So why did you do it?" Robin asked. "For money? Status? Those dark powers?"
"Not everything is so cut and dry, Robin," Slade said turning towards him. We came to the end of the lake and we hopped out onto the ground.
"Selling out our world for your own personal gain seems pretty cut and dry to me," Robin said.
"With or without us, there was no stopping this," Slade said.
"But you two played a part," Robin argued back as we walked down the new path that we had taken. "And just like everything else you've ever done, it's made people suffer."
Slade stopped as we came to a cavern.
"It's what we do best," Slade said.
"We've got company," I said. Fire demons spouted out of the lava that was inside the cavern and Slade and Robin pulled out there staffs. They stood back to back and I was in front of Slade.
"Only a minor setback. Nothing three old friends can't handle."
"I'm not your friend," Robin said.
We attacked the fire demons and Robin and Slade were doing a pretty good job of keeping up with each other. I let my guard down while blasting the demons and a fire demon picked me up and he threw me. I was flying towards a rock face and I grabbed onto the rock digging my sharp claws into the solid mass and turning Super Saiyan. My back paws couldn't hold on and I was over the lava. I looked down at the battle and Robin looked up at me.
"Rocky!" Robin yelled.
Slade stopped fighting and he looked up at me too.
"I'll be fine you moron!" I shouted holding on tight. "Keep fighting!"
Robin and Slade attacked the fire demons again and I was slipping. As a fire demon came at Robin and Slade, Slade moved out of the way and Robin was attacked by the fire demon. Robin swung his staff around and he destroyed the demon.
"I thought we had a deal!" Robin shouted at Slade angrily.
"Old habits die hard," Slade said.
There were no more demons and Robin looked back at me as I fell.
"Rocky!" Robin yelled, as I got closer to the lava. I fell into the lava and I tried swimming back to the top. I could still hear Robin and Slade from above. "NO! We have to help him! He's your son for God's sake! Let go of me!"
"There's nothing you can do Robin!" Slade shouted. I could tell that Slade was trying to keep Robin back away from the lava. "No one can survive it, not even my own son!"
I kept using my healing powers so I didn't burn, but I had to get to the top quick before I lost too much energy.
"No!" Robin shouted.
His voice sounded muffled as though he had his hands over his face or something was covering his head. I was getting closer and I knew that I was going to make it. I broke the surface of the lava and I got onto the rock platform that was in the lava. I pulled myself out of the lava and I saw Robin and Slade. Robin had his head on Slade's chest and I could see tears coming out of my father's eye.
"You'd think I'd let myself die?" I asked.
Robin took his head off of Slade's chest and he turned towards me. He ran up to me and he tried helping me up.
"You're alive!" Robin shouted hugging me. "I thought you died! How are you still here?"
"Let go of me," I said trying to push Robin away.
Robin got off of me and I shook myself clean of lava.
"We have a task to complete," Slade said walking over to us.
"Get away from me," I said to Robin who looked at me with confusion. "This doesn't change anything. I didn't even want your help."
"Come on," Slade said walking. "We have to-"
A fire demon came out of the lava and it attacked Slade's head. His mask flew off and he turned to the demon, killing it. He paused before turning around towards us.
I hadn't seen my father's face since he came back to life and when I saw it, it came to a shock to me. Slade had no skin on his face and he had no right eye pocket where the eye would be. His whole face was actually his skull. He walked over to his mask and he placed it back on.
"I'd rather you hadn't seen that," he said. "It's really only a temporary condition."
"What are you?" Robin asked.
"Let's just say I'm currently incomplete," Slade said. "Come. Time is running out. We must keep moving."
I walked along side my father and we started walking again, but Robin stopped us.
"I don't think so," he said. "Unless I get some answers-you're on your own."
We glared at Robin briefly before Slade told Robin what had happened.
"It seems my luck with apprentices is most unfortunate. Terra's betrayal should have been my demise. But I got lucky," Slade said. "Someone was looking out for me that day. It was a simple arrangement, actually. Do a few chores, and I get back my flesh and blood. And I must admit-the fringe benefits were most enjoyable. A pity things didn't work out as planned. The moral of this story? Never make a deal with an inter-dimensional demon without a little protection."
"You didn't bring me down here just to save Raven," Robin said. "I'm also here to help save you."
"A deal's a deal," Slade said.
We walked on some more and we came to a narrow walkway and there was lose gravel everywhere. As Slade stepped too close to the edge, the ground crumbled and he fell down the side. I looked down at Slade and I slid down the side after him and he fell onto the ground. He stood up and he turned towards us.
"You must be overjoyed to see me like this," Slade said. "Desperate. Weak. Vulnerable."
"I'm here to save Raven, not pity you," Robin said. We had come up to two paths and Robin looked in both directions."Which way?"
"I'm afraid this is where we part company. You'll find your friend along that path," Slade said pointing towards the right.
"What about you?" Robin asked.
"What I seek is in a somewhat hotter place," Slade said.
Slade and I started walking along our path, but Robin stopped us.
"That's it?" Robin asked. "No double-cross? No cryptic threat?"
Slade and I stopped and we turned to Robin.
"We kept our word," Slade said. "How about a little gratitude?"
"This doesn't change anything," Robin said. "If I ever see you two again-"
"We wouldn't expect anything less," I said.
Slade and I walked away and we were silent for a long time.
"Did you really think that I died?" I asked him after the long awkward silence. "I mean, you were crying over me."
"Indeed, I was," Slade said. "You are my son and if I did lose you, I wouldn't forgive myself. I love you and that's all that matters."
"Well I know that," I said. "But my life's not worth crying over."
"And mine is?"
"Deep down, I've lost everything," I said. "Do you know how black my heart has become? Sooner or later, it'll never turn red again. I'll never find love anywhere in the world, not even from you. One of these days I'll…"
"You'll, what?"
"I think I'm going to destroy everything… even you."
Slade didn't say anything after that and I had nothing else to say.
Me: Review everyone! I'll update again today for the last chapter until my Christmas chapter, which won't be posted until Christmas Day. Is Rocky foreshadowing for the future, or is it something else? I don't even know, and I'm the writer. I'll catch ya'll later. And have a Merry Christmas!
ROCKY WOLF