Chapter 8: break
Pale lips curled ever so slightly upward just enough for a catty grin to be present on a certain bad luck charm's face. Jinx's fingers tapped playfully against the red exterior of the PT Cruiser that was parked behind her. She couldn't help but give somewhat of a mischievous giggle as her mind replayed the heist of said vehicle. It was a rush, all adrenaline, just a freaking cloud 9. Allah, had Jinx missed the thrill of stealing.
It had been too long, too damn long since she'd done something even remotely against the law. Sure, she picketed to keep up a rent, but that life had ended about half a week ago. Villains could fall on hard times, but they certainly could fall on good times too. It would seem that Jinx had finally managed to crawl out of those hard times. No more scrounging just to pay a rent, no more scrounging to get something minimal to eat, and certainly no more urge fighting when it came to stealing something big!
Jinx couldn't help herself. She leapt up and landed her behind atop the car's hood. Her stocking covered legs folded under her in a manor that suited her very cat like appearance. It was a crouch, mischievous and playful, that stupid grin still plastered to her face. Life was good. Life was better than good. Life was great.
Luck seemed to have been on her side this time. She never would've guessed just how fortunate she was to find the victimized Raven on her fire escape that two, almost three weeks ago. Yes, of course it was tragic. Jinx sympathized with the half demoness one way or the other, but geez, what luck it brought. The Hive student admitted to being curious, curious about 'Addie.' When Raven had murmured that name to her that time ago, well Jinx felt driven not only to find out who this Addie was, but to find any help in tracking down the fiend to assault the two of them.
Although Jinx was by no means the researching type. Her term papers were proof enough of that. Oh no, that was a job for Gizmo. He had unfortunately been against the idea to begin with. Gizmo wanted to leave well enough alone. Slade wasn't bothering them anymore, and they were doing it for a titan. It took a lot of badgering, but in the end Jinx believed Gizmo reluctantly accepted the task because he too was assaulted like she had been.
Not only did the research turn up quite fruitful, they'd also encountered two other Hive students whom had been looking to regroup with fellow students after Brother Blood's fall from power. Jinx didn't exactly know them, rather Mammoth did. Around half a week ago she, Gizmo, and Mammoth met with the two, Private Hive and See-more. Needless to say, Private Hive was rather well endowed in the cash department. It was only a day before they'd declared themselves the Hive Five and had her belongs moved into a new dorm. The car had been her first big steal since her financial slump, and damn did it feel good.
Her lips pulled even further into a grin as she noticed the build and shape of a familiar titan's vehicle come around the bend. Its beams flooded up and over her form, and she winced slightly at its brightness. It had been absolutely forever since she'd seen Stone, rather Cyborg. Jinx preferred neither, especially when she knew his first name. Though, she could only relish in that knowledge in his presence. These meetings were still rather hush-hush amongst both teams, with perhaps the exception of Raven.
The T-car, cloaked to look like any other casual vehicle, curled up from the road and onto the grassy surface of the little knoll that Jinx was parked on. Happily she bounced off her car to stand leaning against it once more, pleasantly waiting for the titan to emerge. The car whirred and sputtered a moment before the lights dimmed out and the vehicle turned off. Cyborg climbed out of the driver's side, cloaked as well with his hologram rings.
Jinx flashed him a bright and deviant smile, and Cyborg's face lit up brightly.
"Yeah baby! Damn, look at those wheels you got," Cyborg chimed out, strutting his way up to the teen. She grinned appreciatively back, welcoming his opinion with high regards. The other cruised around the vehicle, eyeing it keenly. And just as brightly, he added, "You stole it, didn't you?"
Jinx chocked, but managed to make a save by instantly throwing her voice into laughter. "Me? Steal this little ol' thing?" Her face easily mimicked Beast Boy's kitten expressions.
Cyborg chuckled gently, before scolding "Hand over the keys Jinx. You had your fun. I bet the owners are frantic."
Jinx's laugh turned into a snickering. Her hands fumbled around her person before a ring of keys was produced. As Cyborg walked over to her, she dumped the keys into his open palm. He then leaned against the hood similarly to her.
"Come on, Borgie!" She crooned. Jinx couldn't resist maintaining the playful atmosphere. She was just thrilled, and this was the first time she'd been around Cyborg in ages! "Why can't you just let me have this one wittle car?"
"Aw man! I told you not to call me that," he spouted in his defense against the humiliating name.
"Borgie! Borgie! Borgie! Borgie," Jinx teetered.
"Yeah, you yuck it up," Cyborg retorted, "Stinky Jinxy"
"Hmph," she responded with a mock pout. "Well it's your fault for telling me what Mumbo Jumbo did to you."
Cyborg merely shook his head, enjoying the carefree attitude of his friend. It wouldn't be long before he would have to damper it.
Jinx didn't notice if he was hesitant or not. Her pout grew back into a grin. Not a catty grin, but a true smile, one of content. "It's been too long. You should've called me."
Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "I did call you, you barely called me. Loosing my phone number, geez."
"If I loose it again I swear I'll get it tattooed to my butt or something," she grinned.
"Naw, then everybody'd be calling me," he teased.
"Are you implying I sleep around, Mr. Stone," Jinx replied huffily.
"I, uh," Cyborg began, "No comment."
Jinx slapped him, playful. "You jerk."
He chuckled, but it slowly wound down to silence. No longer was his face full of mirth, it was heavy with seriousness. On any other occasion Jinx would've marveled at the beauty of just his face, so masculine in its gravity. This on the other hand, something was wrong.
Jinx placed a pale hand on the other's shoulder, her face becoming one of concern. "Vic, is everything all right back at the tower?"
The taller let out a heavy sigh. "Raven's gone."
Jinx blinked, taken aback at the statement. "Gone, what do you mean?"
He turned a solemn face to hers. "Jinx, what did you and Raven talk about?"
Jinx was no fool. She caught onto the hidden connotations of his unsaid words. "Oh no, don't even go there. That was girl talk; you're not privileged enough to hear the contents."
They talked for a short time half a week ago. Jinx had hesitantly admitted to being worried about her usual opponent in combat. In honesty, Raven had disregarded the agreement they had made in originally calling Cyborg to take her back home. Jinx couldn't help but be at least slightly concerned whether or not the empath made her way home. Besides, she felt somewhat obligated to see how the titan was handling her ordeal. In honesty, since she too experienced the same ordeal, she valued the privacy of the matter. And Jinx would not break that privacy by blathering to Cyborg about rape.
"Jinx," he said breathlessly, "She's been missing half a week."
Again, she recognized the unsaid words, stating exactly the time she had called to speak with Raven. Still, Jinx would not break the unsaid rules that went along with private, female conversations. In other words, she kept her mouth shut.
"Pft." She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, the joking aura diminishing some. "I wouldn't worry about it. I fight with Raven a lot, and I know she's a strong girl. She can take care of herself." I think… Jinx threw in misleading words. "Besides, why would she tell me where she was going? Are you sure she just wasn't kidnapped?"
"No, she wasn't kidnapped, she left. Cameras prove it, and she left carrying supplies. But I do see your point. We shouldn't worry, but this time we just can't help but being more frantic than normal," the colored teen revealed.
"It's just…," he paused. He sighed. "Raven, she…she's involved with something. Something big. Like, I don't know, she made it sound end of the world big. And, Christ, damn it." He cursed at a loss.
Jinx's brows furrowed. Slowly her arms folded up under her chest guardedly. This conversation was turning down a grave situation she had not expected it to. "What do you mean 'end of the world' Vic?"
Cyborg scratched what would've been the flesh part of his head, a sign of his uncertainty. Merely, he shrugged as he stated, "To make a long story short, I think earth is gonna be the boxing ring for a demonic family feud between Raven and her dad."
"Raven's a demon," she stated skeptically, "Somehow I'm not surprised."
"Same here.," Cyborg shuddered. "You should've seen the way she man handled Slade, with those eerie markings glowing on her. With that and all the shit we all saw down that freaky library, just man. It sounds like 'end of the world' stuff to me."
"Library…I heard about that, on the news.," Jinx contemplated, her face scrunched in reminisce. "That block slated for demolition? It was on right before I called you to talk with Raven." There was a momentary pause of silent thought. "Can the witch literally bring hell to earth, that is what you mean by demons fighting and end of the world, right?"
Absently he nodded. "Now you see why we're worried. Raven's really vulnerable right now to a lot of things. We don't know what'll set her off to do whatever it is she'll do, or even when it'll happen. And it isn't just that." He turned his face from Jinx to stare at a clump of grass off to his right. "All this pressure, it's taking its toll on her mind. Beast Boy said it best. She's a cornered animal fighting back and hurting everything she can, including herself."
So much for her happy, impish mood, Jinx exhaled in an exasperated tone. Rather impatiently she brushed her fingers through her hair, stopping at the hair ties. "Just how long has all this been going on?"
"Since she was born, I guess," Cyborg murmured softly, "That's the impression I got."
"No, I mean with Slade." Jinx corrected.
At that, Cyborg tilted his head curiously. Aside from Raven fighting Slade and winning, he hadn't mentioned anything else to connect Slade with this current world wide situation. Had she been hired by Slade recently? It would explain the car. No, he concluded, she was just perceptive.
Carefully Cyborg chose his words as he answered her. "Slade's been show'n his face since her birthday almost six months ago." He shrugged his broad shoulders. "You know. All that prophecy who-haw, creepy things like these need a special catalyst date, or event, or something." Cyborg would be the first to admit knowing close to nada about mysticism.
"Slade had—" Jinx abruptly halted, stopping herself from adding to anything about Slade. Cyborg didn't seem at all fazed by her actions and actually finished what she had begun to say. "Raped her?"
Jinx eyed him with surprised, pink eyes. "Then she told you?"
The other nodded his head, suddenly realizing that it had been the reason as to why Jinx would want to speak with Raven to begin with. Knowing that, he was certain he knew the jest of their conversation.
"Yes and no," he responded. "Yeah she told us after we forced it out of her, and no, she wasn't raped."
This took Jinx back quite a bit, if her opened mouth expression didn't state as much. Her mind snapped back to the time that she had seen the gothic titan, and was unconvinced. Yet, this was Victor, a titan. If anyone's credibility was to be judged, it certainly wasn't his. He wouldn't lie to her about that, but then…why had Raven?
"But…," she looked back at him in confusion, "She was absolutely broken, naked…she had to be. She knew so much, she…" Her thoughts trailed as she mentally continued. She knew exactly what I had been through, knew exactly what Slade said to me when he used me…
She shook herself from her thoughts as Cyborg continued to explain they'd thought the same too, given her appearance. Of course, Jinx finally concluded to herself, she'd only assumed. Raven never did admit to being raped, though clearly Slade had been the one to administer such injuries.
The two grew silent after that. They enjoyed the other's company as they stared off in their own worlds of contemplation. Finally, Cyborg spoke up.
"I'd wanted to ask you a few things before I get back to looking for Raven. Actually, I wanted to ask Raven, but since she's gone, well…"
Jinx nodded, her body pushing back up to sit on the car's hood once more. "Shoot, I'm no mystic, but I know a thing or two."
Cyborg nodded as well, starting up another explanation. "A little while ago Slade had gotten into the tower to harass Raven. We managed to catch a small fragment of it on camera, but we could only salvage some of the audio feed. Slade mentioned something about raping minds—"
The reaction was instantaneous. Jinx's eyes were wide, color drained from her face, and her mouth wide with a gasp, all before he could finish. "No. Way. No way."
"What, what is it? What did he mean?"
Jinx promptly ignored him, allowing the information to seep into her head. Mind rape, Slade had mentioned mind rape. Had the bastard beat the titan up than invaded her mind? Or…It was unlikely. Allah it was damn near improbable coming from a super hero, but there was just no explanation. It had to be what it was.
Shakily Jinx inhaled, trying to gain her composition, as an explanation was in order.
"Let me explain to you something about telepaths.," she started slowly, "It's pretty popular, almost customary, for telepaths whom really love each other to share their minds. As in complete access, both partners literally make a new set of memories, virtual copies of the other's mind.
"It's like sex for telepaths, something defined by love, a union, marriage, what ever you want to call it. Not to mention it can be really euphoric on a pleasure scale. I'm guessing Raven had at least minor telepathic skills?"
"Yeah, but she's mostly empathic and telekinetic," he offered hesitantly in response, slowly suspecting what Jinx was implying.
"Mind rape is what they call when a telepath forces entry into a victim's mind and makes a copy of the contents. Unusually strong telepaths can go as far as erasing the personality from the victim, 'stealing' their identity. It's the cause for about 10 percentof amnesia cases.," she continued, stopping as she noticed that Cyborg had grasped what she was saying.
"Raven did that…to Slade," he muttered in disbelief. "How…why?"
Jinx sighed, recalling the state in which she discovered Raven at the apartment. "I have a feeling she didn't mean to Vic. She was edgy, upset."
"He's still there…he's still inside me."
"I thought Slade raped her, but maybe she was in such a position that she was desperate for a defense. It…it explains a lot." Jinx mused. In other words she'd seen Slade rape me through his eyes. That's how she knew about what he had said to me.
"Yeah, that does explain a lot. The hand over her right eye, the change in her taste in tea…it was all Slade. It changed her."
Jinx nodded solemnly. "It usually does to both victim and aggressor. The victim is violated; the aggressor has to sort through another person's personality and memories. If she's been aggressive, manipulative, or just plain secretive lately, it's probably the personality of Slade pushing through."
"Christ," he just shook his head, "And Slade's been tryin' to do the same to her."
Jinx looked at him speculatively. It was one thing for the deed to be done to Slade. By all means she felt the bastard deserved it ten times over. However, it being done to Raven? They were by no means friends, however, this was Slade. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Slade far outweighed the titans on that scale as enemies went. The titan didn't deserve mind rape, not with the end of the world a possibility. It was likely it could trigger it.
Jinx's eyes widened at that revelation. "Oh Allah."
Instantly she leapt off the car, standing completely towards him. "You have to find her. That sort of damage might start an apocalypse."
"I know, but we just can't find her," he growled out in frustration, "When that girl doesn't want to be found, you can't find her."
Gravely Jinx continued. "If Slade does manage to do that, and even if it isn't the end of the world, I wouldn't wish a mental union with that psychopath on my worst enemy." There was no more reluctance as the bad luck charm continued. "Look, I gave Raven an address when I spoke with her." She relayed the address to him. "A woman named Adeline Kane lives there; she was Slade's wife."
Cyborg blinked a moment in surprise, completely ignoring the fact she had been lying about their conversation. "Why in God's name did you send her there?"
"I didn't send her, Vic. I just gave her an address. What she did with what I gave her was purely her choice. That woman's had a crazy obsession with taking down Slade since their divorce. I figured Raven would either talk with the woman about her rape, but since she wasn't raped, I'm guess she's going to ask her help in tracking Slade down."
"She went to take him down. She went to stop him before he could get a chance into her mind.," his voice ushered out. Instantly his eyes narrowed, "I swear that kid will get herself killed doing everything by herself. I've got to go. Now."
There was no stopping the titan. Jinx knew that Raven was like a sister to him, he had said as such many times before. There was also a world at stake now.
"If you want my opinion," Jinx began to say, "Raven could kill Slade and the world wouldn't be a penny poorer for the loss."
"I don't think she could kill Slade if she wanted no matter how much she threw him around like a rag doll," he mumbled while turning to the car.
"Vic," Jinx rushed suddenly too him, gracing him with a brief hug. "Before you go, I just want to say that the group's formed up again, they're thinking of a mall heist."
He nodded absently. "If there's a world left to rob a mall, you mean. Thanks for the heads up. If the world doesn't blow up soon, then assume we found her." Before another word could be uttered, the titan was in his car and speeding like a mad man.
Jinx sighed, looking after him in a distraught fashion. Not even a goodbye, although she couldn't blame him. Time was of the essence, and Jinx more than knew they'd be tracking a few hours before they got near the private home of Adeline Kane. Things were beginning to grow dangerous, as understated as that sounded.
She frowned; this was the calm before the storm.
Then that catty grin worked its way up upon her face, mischievous once more. Pale fingers absently played with a pair of dangling car keys in her hands. Another day Cyborg, she thought loosely. She could at least enjoy her free ride until the end of the world, and really? What more would any teenager want?
Because…He loves you. And you love him.
Raven released a shaky exhale. Her usually blank eyes were closed and scrunched up in bothered expression as she snuggled her face further into the pillow her head rested on.
They haunted her. Those words. The moment they were uttered from Joseph's mind was when Raven knew she had been dealt with an injury far greater than the bullet wounds previously endured. And they were very painful, not like the manor of her father's omnipotent presence at the library, but in a far different way. Worst of all, Raven couldn't possible figure out why.
She'd left Joseph more or less without further interrogation and now presently laid on one of the many bedrooms the manor held. It was as if any thoughts of Adeline were pushed to the back of her mind as this new tribulation became existent. Just what had the mute teenager meant by that? Did he honestly insinuate that Slade actually loved her? That she could possibly be capable of doing the same?
Was love even possible for her to actually feel? Raven was aware of there being many levels of love. She loved Starfire like a sister and best friend. Cyborg and Robin were her brothers. Beast Boy never ceased to surprise her, a surprise only matched by how easily he aggravated her; he was a younger sibling. Arella, Azar, and all the Azarian monks, she would always hold them close to her in both a family love and with great respect. Even…dare she think it, even Malchior held some place in her heart at one time or another. But was Malchior truly the type of love to which Joseph inferred?
Thunder echoed outside, followed by the jerking of the window screen from a blast of wind. It was nearing 3 AM, and it would rain soon. Raven rolled her body away from the window, burying her face deeper within the cotton pillow. Azar, she wanted to meditate and put her emotions to rest. Then she wouldn't be mulling over this. But Raven had little choice in the matter.
Malchior was witty, he saw things eye to eye with her, and she felt safe and secure in his presence. He even made her feel…special. Perhaps she had a crush on Malchior, but crushes were easily hormonal driven. Being a teenager, that was bound to be a factor, however, all she ever did see of him was his eyes. Her relations with the paper man couldn't have entirely driven by lust over pretty eyes alone, could it?
No, she concluded. She easily trusted him; she wanted, no, needed his companionship at that time. So much so she abandoned all the warning signs and had released him. Maybe Malchior felt nothing towards her, but Raven did. Love, perhaps in the smallest form of an obsessive crush, but still love in any regards.
Great, she mentally moaned, it was possible for her to love. Wait a minute, what was she so afraid of? She hadn't once thought of or had felt compelled to need Slade at her beck and whim. The credibility of herself wasn't to be at fault here. She would never love Slade. To even like the crazed psychopath was insanity in and of itself. No, Slade was in question here.
Raven's face grew less tense at these thoughts as she mulled over past events. Slade was a pedophile, a really old pedophile. One that didn't care what gender his victims were. There was constant innuendo that he and she were mentally "engaged." He had on more than one account physically…touched her. At that Raven shuddered. So, on some level Slade was possibly physically attracted to her.
Lust did not constitute love. Than what? What could possible be evidence of this love Joseph accused him to have? Slade was never tender, never did anything evident in individuals who loved others. No, Slade hated. He had shown nothing but hate every time she was near him. It seeped from his body like a sponge being squeezed of its contents. The masked antagonist carried boundless waves of it.
Slade was an individual who managed to always hide his intentions and feelings, but since death, Raven easily detected it from him. And Slade just hated. He hated her father because Slade was forced to serve under him at the moment. He hated her because likewise he too served her, and that she was currently the bane of his existence no doubt. There was no love in that, only the love of carrying out the orders of mentally and physically raping her.
It was then the words haunted her again. Different words.
"Pain, joy; hate and love, they're all essentially the same. You react in similar ways to both, the only difference is their opposite ends of the spectrum. It is why we love to hate, and hate to love."
Raven gasped, sitting straight up from where she lay. No. That couldn't have been what Slade had meant. The messenger hated her. There wasn't any love involved, just hate…
It was true that Slade obsessed the idea to enter her mind, to take her body. With her father ruling over him he must have thought about her every waking moment. But that was all hateful!
When one thinks about another so obsessively, so passionately as that: it also could've easily been described as love.
Hands raked through purple locks. This was all wrong! Her breath began to come in shakily. It wasn't possibly for Slade to love her. Yet…love and hate were so much alike, they were indistinguishable. That was what was truly stated during the assault on her mind. Slade hated the fact she had power over him, but he hated her clearly with a passion. Perhaps so much he may actually have cared for her…and had hated that fact. A vicious cycle.
Panic began to rise inside the titan. If Slade was questionably proven to love her as Joseph stated, than could she?
That wasn't possible. She stood up; fingers rubbing the rings tenderly now out of nervous habit. Raven hated Slade, and there was no ounce of love or compassion for him. But then again, did she really have to for Joseph's words to be true?
Raven hated Slade with almost every fiber of her being, something bested only by the hatred she had for her father. How much of the light of day had she given to Slade? He had captured the forefront of her thoughts nearly for the past six months. She constantly expected him to appear to harass her, not a moment went by where she didn't try to seek him out in attempts to stop his actions. She was here now, going to the mad extent of taking hostage an entire family to smoke him out of hiding!
She swallowed shakily.
"Have I been this obsessed all this time?" Her voice rang out small and meek in a helpless unsteady whisper. Lavender eyes wavered widely in alarm, desperate to see an answer in the dark room around her. The closest thing was the distant, yet nearing rumbling of thunder.
It was true then. It wasn't love but something like it. Slade loved to hate her, and hated to love her.
And she did the same.
Her trembling body began to pace back and forth within the empty room. Not once did her fingers leave the surface of her rings. What was she to do? She couldn't just love Slade. It was a complication that would make things that much worse. It was pushing the envelope that the titans even accepted her heritage and that she wasn't doing what she would purposely. If they knew she even had any remote interest in Slade they would warrant her traitor, she would be kicked out.
All the fears she had concerning her heritage were beginning to resurface on this one quandary. It was then that her initial purpose for being here resurfaced. She came to kill Slade to delay her destiny. Now, she would do it to halt the situation from escalating further as well.
That was it then. Her brows lowered, the nervous energy that had knotted up her face began to slide away to reveal a determined, resolved expression. She knew what she had to do. Raven had Adeline captive for several hours now. If that wasn't enough to coax him from hiding, at least the sake of his sons' health should've struck something inside Slade. Since neither was the case, she would have to resort to drastic measure.
Another flash and roar of thunder echoed into the room as Raven's powers ensnared her cloak. Just as it was latched onto her leotard, rain started to pelt the window pane, and Raven exited the room. The halls were dark, but that made no difference to her. She had wandered the house long enough to have memorized the locations of her hostages.
Her steps were slow, but calculated, and each purposely stepped with an edge of seriousness. As she made her descent, nearing every so little bit towards her quarry, Raven summoned forth the demonic reserve of power wafting inside her. Her skin began to glow lightly, but all of the red birthmarks sewn into her flesh began to gradually illuminate with an eerie vibrancy. It hauntingly lit the hallway around her just enough to physically see where she was going, despite that it was unnecessary.
Raven's mind began to fade back, focusing all intent on searching out for Slade's signature energies. When just the tiniest spark of a tendril was discovered, she mentally pounced upon it with a death grip. With that she called him mentally, shouting his name, beckoning him to seek her out. She could feel the tension waver in his tendril, as if to fight her order. Tough luck. Nothing about my father's orders deem it necessary that you stay alive. You will come to me.
Raven's lavender eyes narrowed as he pursued to struggle. She mentally gave a shove, and even from the distance she was at, could detect how great the blow was. It was a testament to her growing powers. Her body paused in its journey as she felt his resolve weaken, but still remain in rebellion.
"We'll see how well you struggle when it's your precious Addie at the receiving end," she growled out lowly, knowing well the thought would easily find its way to him.
Her legs began moving again, this time in the direction of Adeline's room, post haste. Abruptly she felt movement from Slade. Her lips quirked almost sadistically, ah there he goes.
It wasn't long before her calculating footsteps led her to stand before the locked room containing Adeline. Raven didn't bother to use the door; she literally blasted it off its hinges, blowing it into the room. Adeline's previously sleeping body jumped out of utter surprise, causing the chair she was tied to topple over, narrowly missing being hit be the door.
Raven didn't even issue a smirk as she stormed in; relishing the growing animosity in those bitter green eyes she had come to love. Her powers righted the fallen chair. Oh yes, Adeline was down right pissed at her for making such a display of her earlier that evening, more accurately yesterday night. Raven would see to it that the hatred in those eyes would turn into fear.
The titan loomed towards her fallen form, issuing a kick from the tied Adeline. Raven scowled angrily at her before reaching forwards and ripping the duck tape over the woman's lips. This drew a fresh scream from her, one of irritation more than anything else.
"You've some nerve Roth— " "The only reason I took it off is so that your screams won't be diluted." Raven ushered out in a deep growl.
Adeline's thick brows narrowed accusingly. "Burn in hell!"
Raven's hand struck across her face with unsurpassed strength. Adeline's entire head jerked from the blow as a crack could be heard clearly in the air. She huffed painfully, refusing to cry out. She had fractured her jaw.
"Burn in hell," Raven questioned tersely. "You haven't the slightest clue, do you?"
Adeline remained with her face turned from her.
"Answer me!" Immediately she grasped a mound of brown curls and wrenched her face to look at her.
Adeline answered by spitting an assortment of blood in her face.
And Raven countered with an elbow to the face. Another crack followed, this time her nose.
Adeline groaned the only evidence of pain she would submit, her head lowered in whiplash. Raven pulled her face back up with her hair to see a steady dual stream of red dripping from her nostril. She didn't hesitate in dip a pale finger in the stream and take it to her own lips. At her current state of a Trigonian power trip, it didn't seem to bother the empath. It did however serve a rise from her hostage.
"You sick son of a bitch, Roth.," Adeline cursed venomously. "What the hell do you want?"
The hand in her hair jerked her head painfully about as a foot lifted and kicked the chair over with enough force to propel the chair into a slide.
"What do I want," Raven restated the question darkly. There was a pause as if she contemplated the answer. "What do I want?" she said again, with a little more intensity behind it without raising her voice.
Darkness enveloped the laying chair and it went suddenly flying upward into a corner across the room. The chair broke into splinters and the retired middle aged captain tumbled in a large hump to the ground. The landing caused her to writhe, coughing in a terrible fit as she struggled to remove her loosened bonds. Her struggling never stopped as Raven stepped calmly over to her and placed a boot down on her throat.
"What do I want," she questioned again. Adeline gurgled with great effort, remaining calm under the pressure. This just irked Raven off all the more and instead of putting more pressure onto her, she flung her body into a wooden buffet with the sweeping of her arms. The mix of a crash and breaking wood echoed into the air for a second time. It was followed by a cough and a whimper.
Adeline's mind raced. She knew the dark titan to be strong, her earlier battle indicated as such. But not like this. Her earlier fight alone would leave bruises as was. However, with the administration she was receiving now, it was likely that she would become useless in saving herself soon. With these thoughts she attempted to work faster in slipping out of the rope and chair remains, all the while trying to make to her feet.
Raven watched her achieve this with difficulty. Indigo eyes narrowed and she approached her swaying form, her mind forcing her back into the wall with a vicious blast. Her demonic powers were the only thing that kept Adeline aloft.
"What do I want," it was like her voice had suddenly become a broken record, as she repeated the question every step closer she came to her until Raven was in front of her, palm held in front of the woman's left breast. As Adeline once pointed a gun to her heart, so to did Raven hold a theoretical gun to hers.
By now the breaths of Adeline were pouring in ragged and labored. The wind had been knocked out of her several times in such a short period. Raven got up into the woman's lowered face. A sneer was on the empath's lips, teeth clenched down into a domineering glower. Finally, she answered the question Adeline had asked.
"I want Slade."
Arms unexpectedly wrapped around Raven and a whisper tickled her ear. "What are you doing, Raven?"
Raven's head cocked, an acknowledgement to the presence knotted around her. Slowly, a smile formed on her lips, one that better suited a jackal. Her big game had finally made his appearance, and the charter marks on his face and neck blazed passionately to match the emotional display he was emitting. Not that Raven had to visibly see him in order to know this.
"So you've finally decided to grace us with your presence.," Raven said with surprising civility.
His black sleeved arms wrapped tighter around her, a hand snaking towards her breast calmly, while the other slid down her raised arm and grasped her wrist.
"I'll take what's mine. Tonight, Raven," he promised, beginning to pull her raised hand away from Adeline's form.
Raven would have none of this. Forcibly she jerked Adeline's body, the force cracking the drywall around her. Slade's moves halted, but he made no motion to remove himself from her.
"You're rather promiscuous tonight," Slade said, a scolding edge in his tone. "It'll just make—"
"Off."
Slade's limbs loosened, and his body staggered back several steps. Raven arrogantly tilted her head back to look at him, while her body predominantly faced her captive. That smile was still on her face.
Slade's eye narrowed in a scowl, just as the light from his neck dimmed to a vibrancy that was normal for both his face and neck inscriptions. He was beginning to tire of the hold she had over him. Sure, the teenager was smug now, but it would just be all the more delightful to rip through her mind, inch by inch, taking her all apart. Slade didn't lose. He bargained, he cheated, but he did not lose. And there was no way in hell he would allow Raven to win this time. He would make good on his words and collect what Trigon had prearranged to him.
"I see you've become quite attached to the inscription's power." The masked antagonist collected himself. It was rather obvious that the titan had gone awol, abandoning the team and a rouge in her current actions: traveling all the way here, and taking hostage an entire household. He knew she hadn't meditated. She couldn't, and that should have made the demoness edgy and nervous with misdirected energies. That easily explained the insane decisions she had made.
Raven's eyes narrowed at the statement. "They're useful when I need them to be. And with them up, you can't use them against me."
His head tilted in mild contemplation. "It would appear you are right, Raven. But you know that changes nothing."
Slade began to test his waters. He moved slowly back towards her, hands placed comfortingly behind his back. Raven made no hesitation in dropping Adeline back to the floor, the ceiling, and the floor once again. This didn't waver any of his resolve any, unfortunately. It would seem that Slade might have come just for the sake of it rather than for Adeline. Somehow, that pleased and angered her at once.
"Beat her all you like, Raven.," he offered. "It's rather amusing, really. I get to see my ex wife suffer, and I get to see a demon doing what comes naturally."
Raven wasn't fooled. His over all emotions read as he said: amused. But there was something deeper, something Raven easily assigned to concern. Slade was hoping that the woman could endure her onslaught until he could do something about the situation. And that angered her. His attention should have centered on her.
"You're the devil's daughter and the world is your doll house. She is just a toy to coddle.," Slade cooed. "It's a sign that you're growing."
"That may be true, Slade." She countered, "But your no Mumbo. I can see through your act. Just because she was in the military doesn't mean I can't break her."
He finally stopped two steps from her. Hauntingly, he warned. "Break her, and I will break you." His voice, although soft, didn't hide all traces of that indescribable amount of hatred emanating from his very core. Hatred, now that Raven was aware of it, seemed only to match her own.
Such emotions would have otherwise been overwhelming to her, but since her encounter with her father, it felt like nothing.
"You don't scare me, Slade.," Raven spoke out calmly, turning around to him. "And your attempts at threats are just that. Attempts."
His posture remained still and poised. "Then if we are done with formalities?"
"I thought you'd never ask." She grinned snappishly up at him.
At that Slade lunged swiftly, hands at the ready to tackle the sorceress.
Raven, having grown far accustomed to Slade's intellect and reflexes, slid out of his reach, yet managing to maintain her hold on Adeline with ease, had purposely knocked her up again pinning her to a wall.
Slade growled as he spun towards her direction, fiery fists driving hard and fast towards her head. Raven flinched past each blow, just barely avoiding contact with the flames. His right leg shot up with force and Raven ducked it entirely before grabbing his next fist mentally and crushing it with dark energy. He cried out, surprised by the attack, but was even more surprised as she flung him across the room with her mind.
All of Slade's limbs went limp as he connected with the wall, allowing the damage to easily roll off him. He landed on his feet, moved slowly, before lumbering at her with determined force. This time, his blows connected.
Raven found her body flying back into the wall. The drywall stopped her, but not without suffering breakage. He charged at her, bow at the ready. She seeped into the wall, dropping out of the ceiling with shield up and down into him. The effectiveness of the dark wall and her weight crushed him to the ground.
Slade would not be deterred. He swiftly flipped there positions, and he easily pinned her beneath his weight with the full of his body on top of hers.
"I always get what I want, Raven." Smugness came off him as his slate blue eye stared icicles into hers. He raised a gloved hand to her head, "Now where were we back at the Tower?"
Masked lips curled upwards. "Oh yes. I believe I was about to 'rip the memories from your flesh' as you had so eloquently put it."
Raven huffed out with a smile, having a trick yet up her sleeve. Her eyes flashed to white, the birthmarks flared, and Slade resulted in flying towards the ceiling. Raven rolled to her side as his body hit the floor. Her limbs scrambled to her feet as Slade snatched a fist full of cloak, effectively jerking her back to her bottom. Not wasting the opportunity, an arm snagged around her arms and waist tightly. The magician lunged forward to free herself, but Slade refused to let go.
Raven roared, mentally sending Adeline to sail across the room. Slade's hand jerked upward and successfully clasped around her ankle. With a gruff sound of effort, he snapped her opposite in the direction Raven intended, breaking her from Raven's mental grasp. And Raven displayed that fact with a slight sound of discomfort, before lunging to struggle again.
"LET. ME. GO," she demanded.
The inscription on the masked antagonist's neck burned to life with a ferocity. Slade bellowed out painfully, hands releasing the empath and snaking to his neck as his body stumbled and cringed away.
Raven rushed to her feet, spinning around to face him just as the affects of her order wore off. His breath was heavy as he closed her into his full attention. He swallowed.
"Well done, Raven." Fingers gingerly touched his neck. "You've certainly exceeded my expectations. I can start to see now why you are His gem."
"That's it!" Both turned to a straggling Adeline, stumbling weakly to her feet. Her green eyes rang that signature bitterness as she huffed out angrily. "What the hell is going on here!"
An intense moment of silence passed.
Slade lunged. Raven's powers sent Adeline pinning towards the ceiling, just beyond Slade's grasp. He spun, fists dangerously burning with fire towards Raven's direction just as Raven held a palm to him, crushing it into a fist herself.
"Sit." She commanded with a vengeful glare remembering the time he had crippled her. Just as easily, Slade yelped as his legs collapsed under him, his soulless body falling towards his back. He was directly under his battered, former wife.
Raven stepped up to his head and fiercely stared down at his face. "Do I even need to tell you why I've called you here?"
"You think you can kill me," His voice was confident, calm, and collected.
"And I told you before. If you so much as think His power will keep you from dying at my hands, then you are mistaken, sir.," was her response.
"Is that a threat?" His breath was cool as he emphasized the end of his question.
"Better than yours, I assure you," Raven argued.
"By killing me you'd only grow closer to Him." This was not an argument, but statement of fact.
"If I can't stop my destiny, I'll do anything to delay it, so my friends stay alive as long as possible, even if that means becoming more like him and you." It was a vow she was more then willing to act upon.
"I suppose no one said demons were wise creatures." he emphasized his words as he glared up at her. "It does prove how much of a demon you are, however. Instead of mercifully ending their existence early, you're willing to prolong it."
"I'm tired of this.," Raven responded dully. "Truthfully, I could've killed you the moment your back touched the floor."
It seemed the original goal of her evening skirmish was ebbing from her sights, replacing slowly by a new ideal. An ideal that was something more darkly devilish.
"It would've been easier, and assured what I wanted faster. But quite frankly," the dark magus continued. "I want to see you suffer."
Again her hand raised to Adeline's chest as Slade was pinned and forced to watch. A pained groan escaped the woman's throat as a black energy both consumed Raven's palm and the woman's chest. Raven's gloved palm began to close slowly, forcefully, and coinciding with this Adeline's noises began to grow louder and more distressed.
"You haven't the backbone, kid.," he scoffed.
Adeline forced a clamped eye open, looking painfully down to Slade below her. She grunted, trying so desperately to contain herself and tolerate.
Raven continued to look down at him, as he looked up at her. He looked more comfortable than anything else. That enraged her to no end, but Raven maintained herself. She wanted this to go slowly and excruciatingly painful as possible. If he doesn't want her, than there won't be a problem in getting rid of her. I'm going to enjoy hearing the bitch scream.
The hand continually closed slothfully, forming gently into a fist up until Raven forcefully clenched it tightly. It was then Adeline finally released the screech Raven had so eagerly tried to beat out of her.
"Go ahead, Raven, and free me from any attachments."
Before Raven had registered just exactly what Slade had said or meant, the deed had all ready been done. The heart ruptured in Adeline's chest, crushing in on itself and simply popping apart in an explosion of pressure. Instantly the woman realized the fate before her. Within a few agonizingly long moments, Adeline expired from the eternal bleeding that ravaged her system, her bitter green eyes now glassy with emptiness.
And as Adeline took her last ragged breaths, Raven finally felt Slade's words sink in. He wanted Adeline to die from the beginning. It was why Slade had never shown up willingly to begin with. He had hoped her impatience would wind up killing Adeline. Even if she didn't mentally call him, Slade would've held out until he knew his presence was the last element to ensure Adeline's death. If he had any feelings left towards her, than they could be used against him, or cause him to regret or feel guilty of any actions. With the woman he had once loved gone from the world, there was nothing holding him back. He could now pursue Raven with the added bonus of being guilt free.
Instead of quaking at the prospect of literally killing someone, different thoughts rang through her head.
Good. Raven smiled, as the spark of a new revelation lit her mind. I can have him all to myself now.
Her hold on both bodies diminished then as well as her own hold of the demonic powers she tapped into, and the corpse held above dropped on top of the shocked Slade. He speedily shoved it from him as he rushed to his feet, every fiber ready to lay his hands on the charge his master had given him, to make good on the promise spoken earlier. In that he would not fail.
Raven merely smiled, beckoning at him before transpiring through the wall and out of the house, into the rain and woods, ready for the chase to begin.
The dark magus did not dare to look back, she all ready knew Slade was hot in pursuit. She could feel it. Raven could feel where he was with ease. Her bond to Slade was far greater than to the one with Robin. His mind had been planted deep in the corners of her mind and flourished. Everything that defined who the great mad man was merged neatly with her own personality.
It was pure insanity.
Raven hadn't slept well in months. She hadn't meditated properly nearing weeks. She had been hunted. And beaten. And worn down psychologically. Now she was being hunted down again, or was it she who was leading her prey astray? She was in her element now, open space with lots of projectiles in abundance. Which ever it was didn't matter. Raven wanted Slade to hunt her.
This had been it, she had lost it.
It wasn't about killing him now. It was far too easy to kill him. Oh no, no, no. Killing him would probably damage her chances of her friends surviving. Raven had a plan. It was stewing and bubbling in her brain, and although the contents were murky and wouldn't seem to make a great combination, she could still taste the success with these efforts.
Rain and wind ravaged at her small, fleeing form, snagging her cape and pulling her in random directions. Raven didn't fight it; she let it guide her through the woods.
With Adeline gone, any distractions he may have had were gone. She could manipulate him. She could make sure he loved her, just as she was certain he would do to her in order to secure something of his own. That didn't matter, so long as she obtained shelter for her friends.
Suddenly a force shoved into her, slamming her into the dark and muddy ground. The two skidded to a stop, before Slade's arms began to twist her body to face his own. Raven struggled blindly, but the effort seemed in vain as she felt the small of her back press down into the soft muck. His entire body encompassed hers with noting ease, his forearms pinning her arms downward on either side of her head.
Raven was drained. All the fighting she had done that night had cleaned out her reserves, and all the events of the past days left her beyond fatigued. There would be no fighting out of this. She panted under him, and Slade merely held her there, allowing all of it to sink in.
"You see," he uttered calmly. His voice heard above the rain due to their closeness. "I always get what I want Raven."
Raven breathed sharply, summoning one last defiant streak of power. It struck his mask, throwing it clean off just as a flash of lightning danced by. The empath was in no way surprised by his appearance. She had his memories inscribed in her brain; she'd seen his face through mirrors. Still, what she found was that she relished the anger at her for such an act.
"Now, you can have what you want.," she said breathlessly back.
His arms moved, hands grasping either side of her head, instantly Slade started to force his presence into her brain. Purely on reflex, Raven struggled, hands trying to push his body from hers, with little luck. Slade's mind pushed strongly, and it ushered a slight cry from her, resisting but slightly. His psychic presence gnawed on hers, searching, pricking the surfaces until finally discovering the weakest spot. Once again he prepared for another sharp blow, and as he did so, Raven willing let the mental barrier down so that Slade was instantly bombarded by images, to which he was ill-equipped at the intake.
Slade yelped in surprise just at the ferocity of them. He never fathomed the portal to have such strong and overwhelming emotions, such vivid and horrendous memories. His hands almost retracted, but he endured. This was his prize, and he would dig through it and make her suffer as she had wanted him to.
Raven whimpered, eyes clenched tightly as she too was dragged through each memory, clear as the day she had lived them. All of them were agonizing, and in her state, she could not stop the tears from springing fresh from her eyes. Trees rattled, swayed by an unforeseen energy coming from her. Shakily, painfully she pulled her arms from under their prison and planted them to his head. Using the emotions she was suffering to relive as a fuel, she mentally pushed back to Slade, and inserted herself into his.
A circuit had been connected at that time, and suddenly things began to reverse. Slade was no longer tugging apart at her mind; instead his mind was feeding to her. She too, felt herself allow her own memories and knowledge seep into him. The pain in her brain began to ebb, before an awkwardness, and slowly pleasure. Her teeth ground into her lip at this development, tears streaming as she still underwent her own memories as well as Slade's.
A groan issued from him, and before Raven was aware, lips were cemented onto hers, and soon had been forced entry into her mouth. Acting under the affects of the endorphins, Raven pulled him closer by wrapping her arms around his neck, while still holding his head tightly. His thumbs began to rub her cheeks tenderly as Slade administered a massage inside her mouth.
Time and wakefulness began to slip between them, caught within the pulls of the mental connection. Both acted in the moment, allowing one hand to explore the other while the other hand laid somewhere near the other's head. Neither knew when their garments were removed, just that they were barely aware that they had.
Raven's head twisted, just breaking their intense display with their mouths. She groaned, pantingly, uncertain if it was a command for him to stop or continue. Those tears were still bright in her eyes, and they blinded her as she tried to look around her environment to regain a sense of self. Yet they were still within that circuit, and her memories and Slade's clouded reality, blinding her figuratively.
His body shifted above her, and it validated another groan. Her teeth clenched as a more painful memory came up, despite the obvious pleasure of their entanglement.
"Shh," somewhere she recognized his voice. Then a thrust and he was inside her. This time a gasp sounded from her now tense form, and his body rested back on top of her, keeping both of their bodies warm as the rain continued to strike them. The friction set into motion inside both her body and mind left Raven completely lost to the world. Her hands grasped deep into his hair tighter, her mind drinking from his mind, while her legs wrapped around his waste, bringing his body closer to hers.
She too felt him still seeking out her own mind as well as her body, and Raven didn't just let him have it, she wanted his as well. So she continued to let it persist, passively surrendering.
When Slade was done with mind and body, he rolled off of her in a heap. Rain struck her body and she shivered coldly, trying to make heads of the world around her. Mindlessly she attempted to climb to her feet as the world spun around her. She slipped, falling back to her back, but feeling none of it. Her mouth opened in a silent plea of help as she tried to remain conscious, numbly attempting again and failing. A moment later darkness surrounded her in a welcoming collapse.
AN: Finally Jinx comes back into play. I'm not exactly sure if her appearance in this chapter serves of much usefulness, but I did want someone to put more depth into this 'mental rape' type thing. It was also interesting to play off Jinx and Cyborg's friendship/relationship/however you want to interpret. I wanted that to appear open ended. Also, I want to note that Jinx had mentioned a mall heist. A lot of the Titans episodes are written without much continuity, I took advantage of this meaning the Mother May-Eye episode would have occurred after this fic and the three End episodes.
So Raven kills Adeline and Slade gets what he wants. These two very events will affect the rest of the fic greatly.