In case anyone is wonder, the latin in here means: Courage Conquers All.

Prompt: distance

Terra didn't remember. When Raven heard her talking to Malchior, asking with polite concern if Raven was alright, Raven knew without a doubt she didn't remember her. And, if the few small earthquakes that shook the rocky confines around them, she apparently didn't remember how to control her powers either.

Malchior confirmed as much when he pressed a rough crystal into her hand and she saw Terra, scared and desperate, sink her into school into the ground. "Crystals keep memories long after we lose them," he commented warily as Raven watched her and the others trying to hide their new sanctuary with Terra's powers, covering the remains of the school with debris and hiding the entrance under the pile of rubble they slipped through earlier.

"Beast Boy was right," she mumbled to herself as she laid on the cot given to her and Melvin, still wrapped in the blanket. She wondered if he would be happy to hear her say, tell her 'I told you so'.

At the moment, she'd give anything to hear him say anything.

She gazed upward at the cracks lining the ceiling of what must have once been a science lab when Malchior sat down next to her. She couldn't help but stare.

"What. Did. You. Do?" she asked, staring at him.

"You seem to have a fascination with my hair, darling," he teased, running a hand through the new ebon locks. "I'll make sure to take good care of it for you if you like it that much."

She glared at him. "I don't give a damn about your hair, what did you do?"

"Well, I didn't precisely do it to myself," he started. "One of the students dropped a bottle of ink onto me and then my hair oddly soaked it up." He reached up and pulled on one of the short tufts in front of his left eye. "All that time in the books finally worn off on this body, I think."

She was about to make a snarky comment when suddenly the ink drained out of his hair, traveled down the back of his neck and down to his back. "What did you do now?"

"Just a little experiment," he said, then surprised her by pulling up his shirt, exposing his back. "See anything?"

I could count his ribs, she realized. Even his spine made grooves and bumps in his skin. Had she ever seen him eat? Melvin, Gizmo, and herself ate together sometimes but had Malchior? She swallowed and ignored this. "It says 'Virtus Ubique Vincit'" she answered finally. "I didn't realize you liked the phrase."

"Collecting quotes is a hobby of mine," he explained, dropping his shirt. "Happens when you have nothing better to do for a millennium in a book." Then he surprised her by presenting two bottles of ink to her, a red ink bottle and a yellow one. "How about another experiment?"

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Since Slade took over, the Mark of Scath has appeared everywhere," he explained, opening the red bottle. "It's his symbol at the moment, and you have tattooed across your chest."

"…you want to cover it before someone mistakes me for a servant?" she asked, eyes wide. Then they narrowed. "Awful generous of you."

"Well, that and Melvin and Gizmo refused to let me try the experiment on them," he grinned, closing the distance and dipping some of the ink onto her skin.

"I didn't agree yet!" she snapped.

"Not like you have much of choice, love," he replied. "Unless you do want to be mistaken for a servant of his?"

She glared but didn't fight him as he managed to paint a ball of flame to cover the mark.