She watched him as he stood there, still staring her down as she did the same, waiting for the other to make their move first. Raven decided to break the silence, beginning to circle him, walking in a counterclockwise direction, he starting to do the same in the other direction, not wanting to give her an advantage.

"Come on, Raven," Slade taunted, "think about what you are doing, you are making a grave mistake."

"Am I?" she retorted, "or is it you that has made the mistake, Slade? I was debating it, I almost chose to stay, but my friends are important me, and when you threaten them, you got a problem with me."

"What do you possible expect to do, Raven?" He questioned, "I taught you everything you know, you are the apprentice and student, I am the master and teacher."

"Not everything," Raven pointed out, raising her hand, a dark orb of energy growing and pulsating around it.

"If my memory serves me correctly," he stated, putting his hand upon his chin, "the last time you tried to use your powers against me, Raven, the outcome was of one that you did not wish, so unless you want to start repeating your actions, I suggest you come up with something better."

Raven smirked a little, getting Slade's attention.

"I may not be able to defeat you outright on either front," she informed, stopping, widening her stance, "but I can combine the two, creating something that even you will come to know and fear."

His eye widened, realizing what she was talking about.

"So," Slade deducted, "you're saying that I can't possibly defeat you because you are going to combine my teachings with your powers?"

"Doesn't get any clearer than that, does it?" Raven replied, her other hand covered in black energy as well.

Slade chuckled, continuing to pace about.

"That's one thing you seemed to have picked up on quite well, too well, I might add," Slade pointed out, "your mouth, you talk too much, it gets you into trouble, and this, child, is trouble you can't possibly escape."

"I don't plan on escaping it Slade," she informed, "I don't run from my problems like you do, I take them head on, and I think that includes you as well."

"Do what you must, child," he coolly informed, his voice entering the all too-well known hiss, "but you will regret it, it doesn't get any simpler than that."

"We'll just have to find out about that, now won't we?" Raven replied in a quip, trying to get underneath Slade's skin in an attempt to break his concentration somewhat.

"Then so be it," Slade announced, clenching his fists up slowly, "our ties are severed and broken, there is nothing left between us, you and I are enemies and nothing more."

"Glad that you finally see it my way," she added, sliding her feet slowly into position, one of the many stances he had taught her.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Slade questioned, stepping forward slowly, stopping within 10 feet of Raven, still staring into her amethyst eyes, "one and only one of us can leave here, yet there are two of us, so, do you know what that truly means, Raven?"

"Yeah, actually I do," Raven replied, ready for anything, "and I do plan on leaving here today. So, prepare yourself, I may not like you, but I do respect you, so ready yourself."

"Honor among thieves, child?" Slade snipped, "you and I are so much alike."

"I am nothing like you," Raven growled, "I am completely opposite of what you are, don't ever compare me to you."

"I only speak the truth, so why should I lie?" He continued in his hiss of a voice.

Raven said nothing more, bringing her hands up to complete the stance, her hands dark with black energy, her eyes glowing white, illuminating the area around her and the black clothing she wore as well.

"Be prepared, apprentice," Slade hissed, "there will be no mercy."

"Likewise," Raven snapped back, her ever vigilante eyes scrutinizing on every move he made, watching for anything out of the ordinary, aggressive in nature or not.

The two combatants stood ready, each waiting for the other, not wanting to be the first to make the mistake, a mistake that could cost them greatly. Raven knew what this meant, she knew it meant that it was a life or death situation, only one of them could walk away from this fight, one could only be alive to do so.

"So," she thought, watching his every move yet still, "this is it, this is how it is going to end, I'm finally going home. For some odd reason, I knew this was how this was going to happen, yet, part of me actually hoped that he would have just released me and saved himself a whole lot of trouble. The bottom-line, hard fact is simply this; one of us must die, one of us must live, and there is no other way."